The Midterm Races Nobody’s Talking About—But Democrats CAN Win.

These Are the Races Where Democrats Could Blow the Midterms Wide Open

By Brett Di Resta & Cliff Schecter

Cliff’s Note: If you want Democrats to win the races that could blow the midterms wide open, become a paid subscriber. We’re finding the campaigns national media overlook—showing you where your attention and support can make the biggest difference!

If you’re a political junkie who follows campaigns online, you could be forgiven for believing that this election cycle consists solely of a few Senate races and a bunch of DSA vs. Normie Dem primaries. You would know more about Graham Platner’s knowledge of Nazi iconography and Francesca Hong’s holiday preferences than, say, what’s going on in the Florida Governor’s race.

But there are a ton of other races, including targeted pick-ups, that are happening out of view.

For Democrats to have a true wave year, a bunch of wins must come from these under-the-radar campaigns. These races aren’t getting the funding they need, nor the attention they deserve. We’re not predicting wins in all these races (unless they win, in which case we’ll take all the credit), but rather highlighting little-known races where Democrats have a huge opportunity to win, turning the coming wave into a azure tsunami.

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ALABAMA-02

With Donald Trump’s popularity rivaling that of measles (or the measles vaccine for you MAHA fans), the GOP decided to gut the Voting Rights Act and try to remove as many African-American-held seats as possible. One such seat was Alabama’s second district.

Democrat Shomari Figures carried this seat by 9 points in 2024 and was heavily favored to win again before the GOP decided to cheat redistrict the seat. According to the Cook Political Report, the new one leans right, at R+7.

But rather than tuck tail and run, Figures is seriously competing.

He’s outraised all the Republicans running for the seat, including his Trump-backed opponent, State Rep. Rhett Marques. That means he’ll have solid name recognition and a financial advantage with just under three months to go til election day. He may also be the beneficiary of rising Black turnout this cycle, which could be enough to put him over the top.

Alabama isn’t the only supposedly “safe” Republican territory suddenly very much in play. Below, we break down seven more overlooked races—including two Senate contests!—that could turn a Democratic wave into a blue tsunami.