Early investments and ground game are building strong Democratic campaigns in every corner of key battleground states.
WASHINGTON — Democratic candidate recruitment for state legislatures is off to a roaring start in 2024, with promising candidates running in every battleground district and in almost every district in key early battleground states. As the DLCC looks to protect Democratic majorities in states like Michigan, flip key chambers in states like Arizona, and break Republican supermajorities in states like North Carolina, candidate recruitment is the essential foundation for success. The DLCC has been hard at work making early investments and partnering with state caucuses in battleground chambers, building an impressive crop of Democratic candidates with deep ties to their communities whose victories will help candidates up and down the ballot.
Along with goals at the state legislative level, strong candidate recruitment is exactly what is needed to fuel the “Reverse Coattails” effect that could see strong state legislative campaigns boosting Democrats up and down the ticket. As we look at the recruiting and primaries still to come in more than a dozen states, the work being done at the state legislative level right now will shape the results for the whole Democratic Party in November.
Michigan:
- To protect the Democratic trifecta and hold the Michigan House, Democrats have filed to run in all 110 House districts in the state.
- Democrats currently have a 56-54 majority in the House, which was recently retained through winning two special elections last month.
- The DLCC has so far spent $130,000 in Michigan in the 2023-2024 cycle. These early investments have supported key infrastructure, including candidate recruitment.
Arizona:
- To flip the AZ legislature, Democrats successfully recruited candidates in every target district for both the Arizona House and Senate.
- Democrats need to gain two seats in each of the chambers to flip legislative control.
- The DLCC has invested over $130,000 in Arizona for the 2023-24 cycle so far. These early investments have supported candidate recruitment and early infrastructure.
North Carolina:
- To protect a Democratic governor’s veto power, Democrats recruited a candidate in all 50 Senate races and 119 of 120 House races.
- Gaining just one seat in either chamber would break the Republican supermajority and return veto power to a Democratic governor.
- The DLCC has invested $30,000 in North Carolina as part of our battleground program to support early infrastructure and candidate recruitment.
To build our victories against MAGA extremists and provide a boost to Democrats up and down the ballot, there’s never been a better time to support the DLCC. Visit us at DLCC.org to learn more.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“Recruiting quality candidates is the foundation of any successful campaign operation, and the stakes couldn’t be higher this year with fundamental freedoms like abortion and democracy on the line. The DLCC has worked hand-in-hand with our caucus partners and invested early to help lead candidate recruitment and training – especially in top battleground states like Michigan, Arizona, and North Carolina. Our 2024 candidates have deep ties to their communities and will help Democratic candidates up and down the ballot by mounting strong campaigns to defeat MAGA Republicans seeking to take our country backward. With candidate filing still open in more than a dozen states, there has never been a better time to invest in state Democrats’ momentum and the campaign infrastructure needed to win.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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