House Dems launch new online tools in push to expand 2018 battlefield

House Democrats’ campaign arm is launching new online tools aimed at providing national resources for grass-roots efforts to help take back control of the lower chamber in 2018.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has released a new website, “Take It Back,” offering an online “toolbox” to help activists across the country connect with potential volunteers on organizing and get-out-the-vote efforts like canvassing and phone banking later in the cycle. 

The committee also has a “Claim Your Precinct” initiative to help identify precinct captains in a number of the party’s targeted districts. The DCCC said the effort will help the group maintain a database of volunteers to contact when the races ramp up ahead of the general election.

{mosads}

The DCCC said that since February it has hired organizers and built field programs in 38 House districts. The committee has also trained 5,500 people in-person and online and has trained 3,200 campaign staffers and activists on the fundamentals of a grass-roots campaign.

“The Take It Back initiative is about building the largest battlefield in a decade and giving Democratic candidates and campaigns the volunteers, tools, and resources to win,” DCCC executive director Dan Sena said in a statement.

“We have already invested in organizers across the country who have been building coalitions with local progressive organizations, holding House Republicans accountable on issues like healthcare, recruiting precinct captains, and much more,” he said.

Democrats will need to flip 24 seats next year if they want to win back control of the House. They are pointing to a national environment that would help boost their chances, including President Trump’s low approval numbers and new energy that has cropped up on the left.

But while GOP retirements have opened up some opportunities for Democrats, a number of Democratic incumbents have also announced retirements in districts that are on the top of the GOP’s wish list.