The DLCC’s 2025-2026 Target Map pinpoints where Democrats must focus our attention and resources to strengthen our firewall in state legislatures and counterbalance the MAGA extremism of Donald Trump and the Republican Congress in Washington.
This is an extremely competitive map. Five of our battleground chambers were each decided in the last election cycle by a single seat, directly impacting the lives of 40 million Americans. Majorities in many states will likely come down to just a few districts and hundreds of votes. The DLCC’s efforts to bring attention and resources to this fight will make all the difference.
Over the last decade, the DLCC’s data-driven and evidence-based strategy has won back a dozen legislative majorities – nearly half of Americans now live in a state with at least one Democratic legislative chamber. While Donald Trump and MAGA extremists control Washington, state Democratic majorities are moving policy forward to improve lives and lower costs for families while protecting freedoms and expanding opportunities.
The stakes of this cycle’s state legislative elections are high. This map puts Democrats in the best position to deliver strategic victories.
To best implement our Target Map strategy, the DLCC has divided states into one of three categories: Battlegrounds, Power Building, and Watch List
These are the chambers that Democrats must win and defend this cycle. They’re in our most competitive states where majorities are determined by the slimmest of margins, including multiple chambers where the party in power will be decided by a single seat.
Our 2025-2026 Battleground States are:
⭐️Alaska — DLCC will work to support Democrats in the Alaska House and Senate.
⭐️Minnesota – Democrats hold a slim majority in the Minnesota Senate and only need to flip one seat to break the current tie in the Minnesota House.
⭐️Michigan – Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the Michigan Senate and are four seats away from breaking the Republican majority in the House.
⭐️Pennsylvania – The DLCC has played a key role in protecting Democrats’ one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House, including through 8 majority-making special elections last cycle.
⭐️Virginia – Democrats flipped the Virginia House blue in 2023, and the DLCC is determined to hold control of the chamber in 2025.
⭐️Wisconsin – After picking up 14 Wisconsin legislative seats in the 2024 election, Democrats are ready to make a play for the majority in both chambers.
Majorities are rarely won in a single cycle. These states represent our best opportunities to gain seats in tough chambers and check MAGA extremism, including by defending the veto power of Democratic governors.
Our 2025-2026 Power Building States are:
⭐️Arizona – The DLCC will be targeting key districts in the Arizona House and Senate to put majorities in play before the end of the decade.
⭐️Georgia – Over the past five cycles, Democrats have steadily chipped away at the GOP’s hold on the Georgia House, putting us in our strongest position in two decades.
⭐️North Carolina – Democrats are currently protecting Democratic Gov. Stein’s veto power by a single seat, and our work to defend our ground will continue this cycle.
⭐️New Hampshire – Democrats will have many opportunities to flip seats and gain ground in the nation’s largest legislative chamber. This is our best opportunity to break the GOP trifecta before the end of the decade.
The DLCC never takes our majorities for granted. As the only committee responsible for every chamber at this ballot level, we do the necessary work to ensure hard-won Democratic power does not slip away.
Our 2025-2026 Watch List includes:
⭐️Maine – The DLCC helped defend Maine’s Democratic trifecta in 2024 by narrow margins, and we’re not taking a single seat for granted this cycle.
