The arm of the Democratic Party focused on state legislative races announced its initial target map for the upcoming election cycle Tuesday, identifying 10 states where they will seek to combat President Donald Trump’s agenda and prepare for the next redistricting cycle at the end of the decade.
In plans shared first with NBC News, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) will target the state Houses in Virginia and Pennsylvania, where Democrats have one-seat majorities, as well as both chambers of the state Legislature in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Alaska.
The legislatures in those four states are narrowly divided. Minnesota's House is expected to be tied following a special election next month, while Democrats have a one-seat majority in the state Senate. In Michigan, Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the state Senate while Republicans have a three-seat majority in the state House.
Wisconsin Republicans have a two-seat majority in the state Senate and a five-seat majority in the state House, while the Alaska Legislature is governed by multipartisan coalitions with significant numbers of Democrats.
The DLCC will also attempt to cut into Republican majorities in the Arizona House and Senate, the Georgia House and the New Hampshire House and in both chambers in North Carolina. Just one seat in the North Carolina House keeps the GOP from a legislative supermajority, protecting the Democratic governor’s veto power.
State legislative Democrats fared slightly better than their top-of-the-ticket counterparts in 2024, maintaining control of the Pennsylvania House and breaking supermajorities in Wisconsin and North Carolina.
“The authentic voice of these state legislative candidates in these districts and battleground states were able to, you know, break through and resonate with voters in a way that gave us results that were different than at the top of the ticket,” said Heather Williams, president of the DLCC, of outperforming the top of the ticket in November.
Democrats will be able to test out their message in the new Trump administration starting this fall in Virginia, which is hosting gubernatorial and state legislative elections.
Williams said November’s elections in the 100-member Virginia House of Delegates will be shaped by Trump’s handling of the federal workforce, which has a major presence in the state, and the economy more broadly. Democrats currently hold a one-seat majority in that chamber.
“There’s a lot to learn with how the electorate in Virginia responds and how people are feeling about their own personal job security, their own personal ability to feel confident in their finances and their job security and ability to afford eggs,” she said.
The party is also keenly aware that victories in the coming years are key to drawing the next set of congressional and legislative maps at the end of the decade, during the next redistricting cycle.
“We definitely have our eye on 2030,” Williams said. “There are five legislative chambers, including the tie in the Minnesota House, that are within one seat of changing control. So a lot of the attention and focus is going to be on ensuring that we return strong majorities in those places.”
In a statement, Republican State Leadership Committee President Edith Jorge-Tuñón declined to address Democrats' map or Republicans' own plans for the election cycle but said that Democrats “offer no real solutions for working-class families, leaving them to struggle, while state Republicans are actively outlining a bold agenda that focuses on lowering taxes, securing our borders, and ensuring the safety of our communities.”
