The Caucus
Ratings

The Top 25 House Districts Democrats Are Most Likely to Flip: Week 4

IA-01 was our biggest mover of the week after we changed its rating to D Advantage

By The Caucus
The Caucus · October 5, 2026

The Top 25 House Districts Democrats Are Most Likely to Flip: Week 4

IA-01 was our biggest mover of the week after we changed its rating to D Advantage

Each week until Election Day, The Caucus ranks the 25 Republican-held House seats Democrats are most likely to win. Each list reflects where the races stand that week rather than how we think they will end. The final edition will run the Monday before the election.

Third-quarter fundraising totals started landing two weeks before the Oct. 15 deadline, and at least 13 House Democrats have put out a number. Cait Conley leads everyone with $5 million in NY-17. Bobby Pulido took in $3.4 million in TX-15 and JoAnna Mendoza $3.3 million in AZ-06. The average first-time House candidate in 2022 raised about $2.9 million across an entire cycle.

IA-01 is the week’s big mover, up 13 spots to 7th after we moved the race to D Advantage. Christina Bohannan reported $2.7 million for the quarter. Outside groups filed just under $2 million in the district in the week ending Sept. 30, and the two sides finished within $170,000 of each other.

PA-07 takes 4th on the same upgrade. Bob Brooks raised $2.5 million and held a 45-40 advantage in the Franklin & Marshall poll that moved him up last week. The Congressional Leadership Fund put $1.1 million against him over those same seven days, while every Democratic group spending in the district combined for $388,000.

OH-07 dropped three spots to 22nd. Of the $829,000 in outside money filed there in the week ending Sept. 30, $817,000 came from a single Democratic group. Republicans filed $12,000, but it was a week after the Congressional Leadership Fund booked $4.9 million for Max Miller.

MI-07 slips two to 19th. Spending there ran close to even at about $2 million, but the money behind William Lawrence came from House Majority PAC, NRDC Action Votes and the LCV Victory Fund. His own campaign trailed Tom Barrett $6.3 million to $1.2 million at the last filing.

Shannon Taylor’s $2 million quarter in VA-01 keeps her at 24th, ahead of IA-02 and CO-05.

We’re four weeks out. Here is Week 4 of The Caucus Top 25, with how much each seat moved since last week:

CAUCUS+ TOP 25 · WEEK 4 · 4 WEEKS OUT
1
UT-01 Ben McAdams
vs. Riley Owen · open, redistricted
Safe D
2
CA-01 Mike McGuire
vs. James Gallagher · redistricted
Safe D
3
NJ-07 Rebecca Bennett
vs. Tom Kean Jr.
D Advantage
4
▲3
PA-07 Bob Brooks
vs. Ryan Mackenzie
D Advantage
5
▼1
NE-02 Denise Powell
vs. Brinker Harding · open
D Advantage
6
▼1
CA-48 Marni von Wilpert
vs. Jim Desmond · open, redistricted
D Advantage
7
▲13
IA-01 Christina Bohannan
vs. Mariannette Miller-Meeks
D Advantage
8
▼2
NY-17 Cait Conley
vs. Mike Lawler
Toss up
9
▼1
AZ-01 Amish Shah
vs. Jay Feely · open
Toss up
10
▼1
VA-02 Elaine Luria
vs. Jen Kiggans
Toss up
11
▼1
AZ-06 JoAnna Mendoza
vs. Juan Ciscomani
Toss up
12
▼1
CA-22 Randy Villegas
vs. David Valadao · redistricted
Toss up
13
▼1
CO-08 Manny Rutinel
vs. Gabe Evans
Toss up
14
▼1
PA-10 Janelle Stelson
vs. Scott Perry
Toss up
15
▼1
IA-03 Sarah Trone Garriott
vs. Zach Nunn
Toss up
16
▼1
MI-10 Christina Hines
vs. Michael Bouchard Jr. · open
Toss up
17
▼1
WI-03 Rebecca Cooke
vs. Derrick Van Orden
Toss up
18
MI-04 Sean McCann
vs. Bill Huizenga
Toss up
19
▼2
MI-07 William Lawrence
vs. Tom Barrett
Toss up
20
▲1
TX-15 Bobby Pulido
vs. Monica De La Cruz
Toss up
21
▲1
PA-08 Paige Cognetti
vs. Rob Bresnahan
Toss up
22
▼3
OH-07 Brian Poindexter
vs. Max Miller
Toss up
23
KY-06 Zach Dembo
vs. Ralph Alvarado · open
R Advantage
24
VA-01 Shannon Taylor
vs. Rob Wittman
R Advantage
25
NC-11 Jamie Ager
vs. Jennifer Balkcom · open
R Advantage
▲ toward a Democratic flip, ▼ away.

Democrats hold 214 seats. Two are vacant, one from each party, so neither changes the math. Democrats need a net gain of three to reach 218.

According to The Caucus ratings, there are 19 toss-ups, 14 seats where Democrats have an advantage, 12 where we expect the Democratic candidate to win, and 185 safe Democratic seats. We rate 11 races as currently having a GOP advantage, 17 expected Republican districts and 177 safe ones.

HOUSE RATINGS SUMMARY · DEMOCRATS NEED 218
CATEGORYSEATSD TOTAL
Safe D
 
185185
Expected D
  
12197
D Advantage
  
14211
Toss up
  
19
R Advantage
  
11
Expected R
  
17
Safe R
  
177
HELD NOW
Democrats hold 214 House seats, Republicans 218, with one independent and two vacancies
 214 Democratic     218 Republican
 1 independent     2 vacant
Both vacancies are holds, TX-23 for Republicans and FL-20 for Democrats, so Democrats count 215 toward 218. They reach 211 without the toss ups and 230 with all of them.

(Photo: Christina Bohannan, via Christina Bohannan for Iowa Facebook)

This is free because members pay for itThe newsletter is free and always will be. Membership is $10 a month or $90 a year.
Become a member

More in Ratings

See all →

Join 150,000+ readers

The Caucus lands every weekday morning. Free, and independent of every party committee, campaign and candidate.

No charge, ever. Unsubscribe any time.