Why Democrats are pushing their donors to care more about state legislative races
The party has long suffered a disadvantage in a critical battleground, one that’s become even more important amid Trump-era redistricting.
Youngstown, Ohio – John Boccieri's journey through Ohio politics is a reflection of the Democratic Party's struggle in state legislatures. After losing his seat in the Ohio state Senate to redistricting in 2010, Boccieri moved to a safe state House seat in 2015, only to lose a 2018 state Senate race. He returned to his former career as a pilot.
This year, he is once again running for a state House seat, betting that Republicans' winning streak won't survive a second Trump midterm. Boccieri emphasized the importance of pushing back against data center regulation and ending state house corruption.
The Democratic Party is trying to convince donors that a "blue wave" could extend beyond House and Senate races. Leslie Martes, CEO of Forward Majority, a nonprofit that funds Democratic state legislative campaigns, said that Republicans are still favored in both parties' top target races at the state level. Martes explained that Democratic candidates often struggle to gain traction at the state legislative level, as seen in North Carolina in 2008 where Obama won the state but no seats were gained in Raleigh.
The fight to control state legislatures intensified after Trump encouraged Republicans to redraw congressional maps in states they controlled to eliminate Democratic House seats. Strategists in both parties noted that this redistricting scramble has shifted how donors approach state legislative races. Mason Di Palma, a Republican State Leadership Committee spokesman, warned donors that Democrats could force their own gerrymanders if they win state-level races in 2026.
He explained that expanding control in Minnesota, capturing Wisconsin's Assembly, and flipping Pennsylvania's state Senate would allow Democrats to redraw maps.
Both parties have ramped up their efforts to recruit candidates for downballot races, with Democrats benefiting from their confidence in making gains in the midterms. Wisconsin, for example, is seen as a potential trifecta state due to new maps, while Pennsylvania is inching closer to Senate control, thanks to Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro's popularity. Redistricting continues to reshape political outlooks in many states.
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