We are pleased to present the first Congressional Competition Index of the 2026 cycle. While we are roughly 18 months away from the midterm elections, many candidates have already announced, and campaigns are well underway.

In this report, we look at how scoring has changed since last cycle, identify districts that may be more competitive than they appear, and highlight additional early insights and takeaways from the first quarter of the 2026 cycle.

The Congressional Competitiveness Index (CCI) is back for a fourth round following the release of the End of Year FEC reports, and a lot has happened since our last quarterly release. In this report, we will take an expansive look at the 2024 election cycle and see how it compares to past election cycles and where democracy deserts remain that could be brought to competition next cycle.

The Congressional Competitiveness Index (CCI) is back for a third round following the release of the Q3 FEC reports, and a lot has happened since our last quarterly release. As we near the final stretch, parties are putting more districts online, resulting in far fewer democracy deserts.

More Competition in Democracy Deserts, But Too Many Remain