Former Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison's Dirt Road Democrats PAC is making its first slate of midterm endorsements, backing Senate candidates in North Carolina, Alaska and Minnesota while also supporting three House candidates across multiple states.
The political group announced it would be contributing $5,000 to each endorsed candidate: former Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) in his Senate bid, former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) in her Senate campaign, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-Minn.) in her statewide race, and House candidates Chris Jones in Arkansas, Shannon Taylor in Virginia and Jamie Ager in North Carolina.
Harrison told The Hill the PAC plans to announce more endorsements in coming weeks and is aiming to raise $1 million this midterm cycle. "This first round endorsement is focusing on some races that we think are really crucial for us to take back the majority in the House and Senate, and races that we think can be competitive if they have the resources," Harrison said.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats see Dirt Road Democrats as a critical vehicle for reaching voters in traditionally Republican territory. Harrison argued rural America has been neglected by his party's political infrastructure.
"They've been starved for so long that all the resources of any organization that can do stuff to organize Democrats in rural America, the more the better," Harrison told The Hill.
Harrison called North Carolina "probably the single best Democratic pickup opportunity" and deemed backing Cooper "a no-brainer." He described Peltola's Alaska Senate bid as a "No. 1 draft pick" and said he is "very, very bullish" about her chances against incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R).
Current DNC Chair Ken Martin has outlined a 50-state organizing strategy for this cycle. Harrison welcomed those efforts while arguing rural outreach must be a priority.
"When you start to take a look at, you know, how the presidential elections will look after 2030, I mean, there's gonna be a lot of shifting to areas in the South," Harrison added. "We need to have a foothold in these communities, and that has to start now."
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans point to significant financial advantages as evidence their candidates are well-positioned in these races. The Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), announced hundreds of millions of dollars in investments across eight high-stakes Senate races.
That includes $71 million allocated for North Carolina and $15 million for Alaska. Those figures dwarf Dirt Road Democrats' initial $5,000-per-candidate contributions.
Cook Political Report rates the North Carolina Senate race as leaning Democratic but notes Cooper faces Michael Whatley, a former RNC chair. The Alaska contest is rated as leaning Republican toward Sullivan.
On the House side, Cook shifted Ager's North Carolina 11th District race to "lean Republican" from a more Democratic rating just last week. Jones faces an uphill battle in Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District, which Cook rates as solidly Republican.
What the Numbers Show
The midterm electoral math presents challenges for both parties. Democrats need to net four Senate seats and three House seats to win control of Congress.
Decision Desk HQ's polling aggregate shows Democrats leading Republicans by more than 5 points on a generic congressional ballot, a sign party strategists point to as encouraging.
Harrison rocketed to national prominence with his 2020 Senate campaign against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), smashing fundraising records despite ultimately losing by double digits. He founded Dirt Road Democrats weeks after that race and later rose to DNC chair in 2021, serving through the 2024 presidential cycle before stepping back from daily PAC operations.
The national Democratic Party committee has faced a significant cash-on-hand disadvantage compared to its Republican counterpart following the 2024 election results.
The Bottom Line
Dirt Road Democrats' first midterm endorsements represent Harrison's renewed focus on rural voter outreach after his tenure as DNC chair. The $5,000 contributions are modest compared to major party spending, but the PAC's stated $1 million fundraising goal could grow substantially if early backing attracts additional donors.
The races backed by the PAC span competitive Senate contests and House seats that will serve as bellwethers for Democratic performance in November. Republicans have signaled they view these same races as priorities, committing substantial resources to defend vulnerable incumbents.
Voters should watch for future endorsement announcements from Dirt Road Democrats as the cycle progresses, particularly in southern states where Harrison has argued the party must establish infrastructure now to compete in future presidential elections.