Democrats add two House seats in New York and Virginia to front-line fight

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added two seats to its front-line initiative as it seeks to flip control of the House of Representatives in November, even as concerns mount at the top of the Democratic ticket.

The DCCC added the candidate for New York's 22nd Congressional District, John Mannion, and Virginia's 7th Congressional District, Eugene Vindman, to its "Red to Blue" initiative, which aims to help boost candidates seeking to flip GOP-held seats or hold on to Democratic seats where an incumbent is not seeking reelection.

“John Mannion and Eugene Vindman are exemplary public servants who have dedicated their careers to serving our country and their communities. Voters can trust them to always be vocal advocates for their districts and our democracy,” DCCC Chairwoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) said in a statement Thursday.

“I look forward to working with them to reclaim the House majority and get Congress back to work to deliver for the middle class," she added.

Mannion and Vindman join 25 other candidates in the program, which has its sights set on 23 Republican-held seats and four seats held by outgoing Democrats. The DCCC program gives candidates "organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to run strong campaigns," according to the committee.

Mannion's and Vindman's races are both considered "lean Democrat" by the Cook Political Report, making them some of the most Democratic-friendly seats in the program. The only other "lean Democrat" seat in the program is California's 47th Congressional District, where Dave Min is attempting to win the seat of outgoing Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA). There is also a "likely Democrat" seat in the program, for Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, where Shomari Figures is looking to win the newly drawn Democrat-favorable district.

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The addition of the two seats comes as reports swirl that front-line Democratic House candidates are concerned about President Joe Biden's candidacy at the top of the ticket in November after his disastrous debate performance last month. Biden has maintained he will remain in the race and has dismissed concerns about his age, mental acuity, and candidacy.

Republicans hold a slim majority in the lower chamber of Congress, after flipping it in 2022, and the race for control of the chamber in less than four months is considered to be a toss-up by most outlets.