Progressive voter contact group spends $44M on engagement efforts ahead of 2026 midterms 

descriptions off, selected

captions settings, opens captions settings dialog

captions off, selected

This is a modal window.

Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

End of dialog window.

The Hill's Headlines — March 13, 2026

The Hill's Headlines — March 13, 2026

A progressive voter contact group is spending $44 million on midterm engagement efforts this cycle, with a focus on key battleground states as Democrats look to retake the House majority and make inroads in the GOP-controlled Senate this November. 

The Progressive Turnout Project (PTP) is spending $44.1 million on five initiatives aimed at turning out voters ahead of November: $35 million on door knocking; $4 million on a program dedicated to electing pro-democracy candidates; $2.5 million to training campaign fellows on door knocking; $2.1 million for training members to send postcards to inconsistent Democratic voters; and $500,000 toward engaging beauty salons and barber shops on voter turnout.  

The major investment was first shared with The Hill.  

“What we recognized when we started PTP 10 years ago was that turnout efforts just were not at that time and really continue to not be taken as seriously,” said Alex Morgan, president of the group. 

“You still have major committees making really late investments in these turnout efforts and that is when they’re most effective, but you also need to take the time to recruit the people who are going to be a part of those programs,” he said. “Train them on how to have these conversations in a meaningful way.” 

A grassroots-funded organization that first started in 2015, the Progressive Turnout Project notes it’s had nearly 40,000 people work on voter contact efforts and has supported more than 2,200 Democratic candidates running in contested races. 

Progressive Turnout Project is planning to be involved in 25 states “with investments spanning competitive congressional, state legislative, gubernatorial, and local races,” including contested Senate races and swing GOP-controlled House districts.  

The organization is also investing in TouchStone’s technology, whose software allows community members who are remotely trained on voter engagement to connect with more hard-to-reach voters.   

“It’s an opportunity for people to get engaged, and it’s an opportunity for us to reach voters who otherwise aren’t going to hear from anybody,” Morgan said.  

The Democratic National Committee has also launched several programs aimed at turning out harder-to-reach and more inconsistent voters as the party eyes taking back the House majority.  

House Republicans now hold a razor-thin majority, and Democrats are seen as having a better-than-even chance of flipping the majority, given historic trends in which the president’s party loses seats in a midterm election.

Flipping the Senate will be a harder task as Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the upper chamber. Democrats are defending vulnerable incumbents or open seats in Georgia, New Hampshire and Michigan. However, the party sees the potential to make inroads in states like North Carolina, Texas, Maine and Ohio.  

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Trump officials erupt at CNN over report on surprise over Strait of Hormuz ...

98-year-old federal judge suspended for mental fitness appeals to Supreme Court

Bessent's interview halted for urgent talks in Situation Room: ‘The president ...

Powell called these 13 lawmakers as DOJ opened criminal probe

Hegseth orders ‘ruthless, no-excuses’ review of military legal offices

Lawmaker who accused Trump of Kennedy Center snub missed invite in spam folder

Military commanders given deadline to remove Anthropic products from systems

Trump says war with Iran will end when ‘I feel it in my bones’

The bright side of the 5th Circuit’s disturbing Ten Commandments decision

Republicans, Democrats warn Trump administration against pulling US troops from ...

Landmark housing bill overwhelmingly passes Senate, faces uncertain future in ...

Trump confirms giving officials dress shoes: ‘I don’t want my Cabinet ...

Hegseth blasts CNN: ‘The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the ...

Hegseth says Iran’s supreme leader ‘wounded and likely disfigured’

House Republicans threaten to oppose Senate bills until SAVE America Act passes

Senate stalemate, secretary switch, stalled salaries: DHS shutdown at 1 month

Trump threatens Iran leaders: ‘Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags ...

Democrats block bill to reopen Homeland Security amid 27-day shutdown

© The Hill