Democrats launch aggressive campaign to win back infrequent voters

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has launched "Local Listeners," a campaign targeting over one million infrequent voters in key battleground districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The initiative aims to regain the support of voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 but did not vote in 2024. The DNC is investing in early, localized outreach, including training over 2,000 volunteers in active listening and difficult conversations. Volunteers aim to conduct 250,000 phone conversations and host 50 grassroots events by the end of March. This effort is the DNC's most ambitious early voter outreach for a midterm cycle, seeking to counter a similar strategy employed by the Trump campaign in 2024.

Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the Republican National Committee (RNC) significantly outpaced the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in fundraising during 2025. The RNC raised $172 million and held $95 million in cash, while the DNC raised $145 million with $14 million on hand and $17 million in debt. Fundraising for House races was closer, with House Republicans raising $117 million compared to House Democrats' $115 million; both committees started 2026 with roughly $50 million cash on hand. The fundraising disparity highlights a potentially challenging election cycle for Democrats as Republicans aim to maintain control of the House and Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed optimism about the Republican Party's chances due to their overall fundraising success.