Lutheran Services in America logo
GIVE
GIVE

Tag: election

Congress Watch: Redistricting and the Road to the 2026 Midterms

December 19, 2025

BY: Kylie Bowlds

The outlook of the 2026 midterm elections continues to evolve as both parties focus on key House districts that will determine the balance of power in Congress. Key toss-up races continue to take shape as various states seek to redraw maps ahead of the 2026 midterms – aiming to flip or add additional seats. However, in many blue and purple states with independent redistricting commissions, it is too late for legislatures to amend their states’ constitutions to do so.  

For Republicans, redistricting could yield a net gain of four to five House seats. Alternatively, Democrats could net two to four House seats as well, depending on how new maps are implemented across key states. Various factors – pending court rulings, ballot initiatives, etc. – will heavily impact these outcomes.    

Toss-Ups to Watch

Senate: Several Senate races are expected to be highly competitive. These include:  

  • Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)  
  • Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA)  
  • Open seats in Michigan and North Carolina  

House:  On the Democratic side, toss seats include:  

  • AZ-13 (Gray)  
  • NM-02 (Vasquez)  
  • NY-04 (Gillen)  
  • OH-01 (Landsman)  
  • WA-03 (Perez)  

Republican-held seats that are expected to be competitive include:  

  • AZ-01 (Ciscomani)  
  • CA-22 (Valadao)  
  • CA-48 (Issa)  
  • CO-08 (Evans)  
  • IA-01 (Miller-Meeks)  
  • MI-07 (Barrett)  
  • NJ-07 (Kean Jr.)  
  • PA-07 (Mackenzie)  
  • PA-10 (Perry)  
  • VA-02 (Kiggans)  
  • WI-03 (Van Orden)  
  • An open seat in Arizona 

What You Can Do Now

With the midterms approaching and many competitive toss ups, we encourage our members to:  

  • Stay connected and monitor emerging candidates in toss-up states and districts — including congressional and gubernatorial races.  
  • Utilize the Congressional calendar to check as to when your elected officials are on recess and available for meetings and site visits.  

For your organizational advocacy efforts, engagement at both the federal and state levels is increasingly important. Elected officials on all levels of government play a role in shaping critical policies. Continued engagement and relationship building ensure that your voice and the voice of those in your communities are represented. 

Kylie Bowlds is an Issue Education & External Relations Associate at Lutheran Services in America.

Election Watch: What’s at Stake in November that may Impact Health Legislation?

August 26, 2024

BY: Sarah Dobson and Tony Brozey

As we are tracking the November elections with an eye toward impact on the work of the Lutheran Services in America network, we will be highlighting key races of members on committees with jurisdiction over issues that matter to us.  As you know, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee have jurisdiction over issues critical to our work. The HELP Committee plays a crucial role in shaping national policies related to healthcare and the workforce, while Energy and Commerce has broad jurisdiction over healthcare and the regulations and laws that govern the sector.

Senate HELP Committee

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), a senior member of the HELP Committee and chair of the Special Committee on Aging, is seeking re-election and is running against Republican Dave McCormick. Early projections and polls estimate that Casey is currently expected to beat his opponent, with some estimates giving Casey as much as a 10-percentage-point edge. Of course, Pennsylvania is a key battleground state in this year’s presidential election and so the race is expected to tighten. Lutheran Services in America and the Disability Network have worked extensively with Sen. Casey on legislation such as S. 100, the Better Care, Better Jobs Act; S. 762, the HCBS Access Act, and S. 4120, the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act. We will continue to watch this race.

House E&C Committee

House Energy & Commerce (E&C) chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) is not seeking re-election. Her successor as leader of the committee will be determined first by whether the Democrats or Republicans have the majority in the House, and then through internal party deliberations. As chair, Rep. McMorris Rodgers has championed legislation addressing the needs of people with disabilities and served as a speaker at LSA-DN meetings. We will be closely monitoring who becomes chair of this committee, given the scope of their work, and ensuring an ongoing relationship for our network.

To learn more about our work with these lawmakers, or their legislation, please reach out.

Sarah Dobson is Senior Director of Public Policy and Advocacy.

Tony Brozey is a summer intern with the government affairs team at Lutheran Services in America.

TOGETHER,

we make life better for children, youth, and families today—and for generations to come.

Our shared Lutheran tradition of service to our neighbor is more vital than ever.

Join us as we work to ensure our network continues delivering essential services to all in need.

DONATE NOW