On March 17, 2026, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) released an initial list of nine candidates participating in its MAGA Majority program in 2026.
According to NRCC, the program, formerly known as Young Guns, "highlights a slate of strong candidates running in key battleground districts across the country who embody the Trump agenda: securing the border, lowering costs, restoring energy dominance, and putting American workers first."
The release of the NRCC list comes approximately a month after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released an initial list of 12 candidates on Feb. 23, 2026, who are participating in its Red to Blue program in 2026.
DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) said, "The candidates named to this first round of our Red to Blue program are united by their desire to fight for hardworking families in their districts — not the billionaires bankrolling Republicans' corrupt and divisive machine."
The candidates selected by the committees to participate in these programs must meet certain fundraising and organizational thresholds. Once selected, the candidates receive funding and guidance from their respective committees.
Districts where MAGA Majority candidates are running
Two MAGA Majority candidates are running in Republican-held districts, and seven are running in Democratic-held districts. Two of those candidates are running in open Republican-held districts, and one is running in an open Democratic-held district.
Of the seven Democratic-held districts, incumbent Rep. Adam Gray (D) in California's 13th Congressional District had the narrowest margin of victory (MOV) in the 2024 general elections. Gray defeated incumbent Rep. John Duarte (R) by 187 votes. Incumbent Rep. Tom Suozzi (D) in New York's 3rd Congressional District had the largest MOV in the 2024 general elections. Suozzi defeated Michael LiPetri Jr. (R) by eight percentage points.
Of the two Republican-held districts, incumbent Rep. David Schweikert (R) defeated Amish Shah (D) in the 2024 general election in Arizona's 1st Congressional District by 3.8 percentage points. Incumbent Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) defeated Sarah Corkery (D) in the 2024 general election in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District by 15.6 percentage points.
In the 2024 presidential election, considering redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections, President Donald Trump (R) won four of the districts, and Kamala Harris (D) won five.
Of the five Harris-won districts, her narrowest MOV was in New York's 19th Congressional District, in which she defeated Trump by one percentage point. Harris' largest MOV was in Texas' 34th Congressional District, in which she defeated Trump by 15.5 percentage points.
Of the four Trump-won districts, his narrowest MOV was in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, in which he defeated Harris by three percentage points. Trump's largest MOV was in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District and Maine's 2nd Congressional District, in which he defeated Harris by 10 percentage points, respectively.
Looking at the past electoral success of Young Guns candidates, 17.1% won their respective general elections in 2024, 31.9% in 2022, and 49.1% in 2020.
Districts where Red to Blue candidates are running
All 12 Red to Blue candidates are running in Republican-held districts. Additionally, all 12 candidates are running against incumbents.
Of the 12 Republican-held districts, incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) in Iowa's 1st Congressional District had the narrowest MOV in the 2024 general elections. Miller-Meeks defeated Christina Bohannan (D) by 0.2 percentage points. Incumbent Rep. Andy Ogles (R) in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District had the largest MOV in the 2024 general elections. Ogles defeated Maryam Abolfazli (D) by 17.4 percentage points.
In the 2024 presidential election, considering redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections, Trump won all 12 districts. Trump's narrowest MOV was in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, in which he defeated Harris by 0.2 percentage points. Trump's largest MOV was in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, in which he defeated Harris by 18 percentage points.
Looking at the past electoral success of Red to Blue candidates, 36.4% won their respective general elections in 2024, 41.7% in 2022, and 2.6% in 2020.
Click here for more information about the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and here for more about the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).