Trump Humiliated as His Red States Boost Dem Candidates
Photo Illustration by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/GettyDemocrats are eyeing more than a dozen seats in deep-red Trump country that they now believe are competitive, with less than two weeks to go before Election Day. The House Majority PAC, which is fighting to help Democrats retake the Majority in Congress, released a memo on Wednesday with a series of polls that yielded eye-popping results in di
Democrats are eyeing more than a dozen seats in deep-red Trump country that they now believe are competitive, with less than two weeks to go before Election Day.
The House Majority PAC, which is fighting to help Democrats retake the Majority in Congress, released a memo on Wednesday with a series of polls that yielded eye-popping results in districts the president won by double digits.
Their polling showed that Democrats were competitive, and in some cases leading, in districts Republicans have held for years.
The latest results suggest Democrats could be on track for a bigger blue wave than previously expected, beyond traditional battlegrounds.
Of the 13 polls they conducted in previously deep-red Trump districts, Democrats led in six, tied in two, and trailed by just a few points in the rest.
The House Majority PAC argued that with the right resources, even more once-unthinkable pickup opportunities are in reach.
Democrats need only pick up three seats to retake the House majority in November. Some forecasts have indicated they’re likely to pick up nine or more seats on the conservative side.
But if the latest polls are any indication, the bleeding could be much worse for the president.
A mid-October poll showed MAGA Rep. Anna Paulina Luna trailing Democratic candidate retired Army Brigadier General Leela Gray by a point in Florida’s 13th congressional district. Trump won by more than 13 points, down from less than two years ago.
It also showed Democrat Zach Dembo leading Republican Ralph Alvarado, who scrubbed Trump’s name from his website over the summer, by six points in Kentucky’s open 6th congressional district race. Trump won the district by more than 15 points.
Democrat Fred Wellman leads Republican Rep. Ann Wagner by one point in Missouri’s 2nd congressional district race, where Trump won by more than 8 points less than two years ago.
In Montana’s first congressional district, which Trump recently visited and won in 2024 by 12 points, Democrat Sam Forstag leads Republican Aaron Flint by three points.
Trump won Ohio’s 15th congressional district by 10 points less than two years ago, but the latest poll released by House Majority PAC shows Democrat Don Leonard ahead of GOP Rep. Mike Carey by three points.
In the redrawn Texas 35th congressional district, Democrat Johnny Garcia leads Republican Carlos De La Cruz by two points, even after GOP efforts to gerrymander the state to favor Republicans.
Meanwhile, the Texas 23rd congressional district that Trump won by 15 points less than two years ago showed a tied race between Democrat Katy Padilla Stout and MAGA gun-fanatic Brandon Herrera, also known as “The AK Guy.” That’s the district where GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales ended his reelection bid and was later forced to resign amid backlash over his affair with an aide who later died by suicide.
The race also appears neck and neck in Minnesota’s first congressional district, which Trump won by 12 points, but Republican Brad Finstead and Democrat Jake Johnson are now tied at 43 percent each.
Trump’s approval hit a new low less than two weeks before the election, the latest New York Times poll found. That same poll found likely voters prefer Democratic candidates to Republican ones by 11 points in their congressional districts as voters remain enraged by the high cost of living and the president’s handling of his war in Iran.
