Guide to Key US House & Senate Races 2018

Race Categories

Best Picks Now – These are Mid-Tier races with standout Dem nominees already (either with no primary opposition or not very substantial competition). Most are designated by the DCCC as a “Red to Blue” priority. These are candidates we think are the best investment for donation now.
Next Best and Also Good – Good Mid-Tier races, but just not as high a priority as Best Picks Now.
Bigger Reach – Potentially winnable, but not as likely.
Too Good? – These Top Tier candidates/races, we think are winnable, but are already well positioned and not as good a strategic investment.

Well Funded – Winnable races, but which have decent direct funds already, especially compared to their opponents.

Column Headings

Donate Now – For priority candidates, click on the link and make a donation
Video – For some candidates, a direct link to a candidate video Cook Rating – Rating of the race by the Cook Report
Cook PVI – The "Partisan Voting Index" – an index of how the district leans based on previous voting patterns.
Hillary 2016 and Obama 2012 margins in the district
Betting Odds D/R The odds of a D vs R victory at the PredictIt online betting site. (These change frequently and may not be perfectly up to date.)
Priority Opponent – R incumbents that would be particularly good to oust.
D-Cash Latest and R -Cash Latest – Cash on hand as of the latest FEC report. When there is no standout candidate, it’s the competitor with the most cash.
Polls – Selected poll results or Real Clear Politics average.
Prim. Date– Date of primary, or run-off. Or may be date of special election.