Departures in the House of Representatives create crucial goals for Republicans in the fight for majority control

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a tumultuous and unproductive session of Congress, nearly 50 members of the House of Representatives have decided either not to run for re-election this year or to run for higher office, leaving open spots for Democrats in several close races remaining who could lose control of the House of Representatives to either party.

Both Republicans and Democrats have had their fair share of turnover — with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, being the most prominent — but Democrats are also losing great fundraisers who have successfully challenged Republicans in recent years party repelled. Facing tough competition for just a few dozen seats, Democrats are relying on new faces to prevail, while Republicans eye openings in four races in Virginia, Michigan and California.

The GOP is sending resources and trying to neutralize the issue of abortion access in these districts, hoping to go on the offensive and maintain a narrow majority. The party is running with candidates who previously failed in attempts to unseat Democrats but are now optimistic they can build on their campaign experience and perform better by not running against an incumbent.

Democrats, relying on campaign donations and voters who support reproductive rights, are turning to candidates with a track record in office. Most of them are state legislators who already have legislative track records, voter relationships and campaign experience.

Regardless, catching up with the fundraising and political skills of prominent Democrats in the three states will be a difficult task.

Democratic Reps. Katie Porter of California, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, and Elissa Slotkin and Dan Kildee of Michigan collectively raised more than $50 million in the last election cycle. Slotkin, Spanberger and Porter all entered Congress in 2018 as part of a wave of female lawmakers who flipped seats and gave Democrats control of the House.

They all have their sights set on higher office: Slotkin is running for Michigan's Senate seat, Spanberger is running for governor of Virginia next year, while Porter failed in his Senate bid earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Kildee decided not to run for a sixth term after being diagnosed with cancer last year.

Here's how the race to replace her goes:

Michigan's 8th District

Central Michigan has been represented by either Kildee or his uncle, former Rep. Dale Kildee, for nearly five decades. And Kildee said it was important to him that he leave his seat to a Democrat.

“It's a lot easier to leave knowing we have a chance of keeping the seat,” he said.

But Paul Junge, a Republican who lost to Kildee in 2022, said Kildee's resignation also made his decision to run again much easier.

“Incumbency is powerful for a reason. People know the name. You feel like you know this representative,” said Junge, a former prosecutor and television host. “This time I won’t experience that. And in fact, as the second candidate in this district, I reached out to people who already knew me.”

Junge also described 2022 as a difficult year for Republicans in Michigan as voters voted to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and to re-elect a popular Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer. He self-funded his campaign, giving him a cash advantage this year.

So Junge crisscrossed the district in his Ford F-150, working to win over the union members and workers who once made Michigan a blue wall of support for Democrats but who are now in the process have turned to the Republicans in recent years.

Still, Democrats point out that Junge has spent most of his life outside of Michigan County and call him a “carpet-bagger.” Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, a state senator, talks about her working-class roots and her experiences raising six children in the community.

Rivet described herself as a “moderate,” citing her time in the Legislature advocating for tax credits for families with children.

“I think when we get into policy, we need to prioritize middle-class and working-class families,” she said.

Rivet also presses Junge on the issue of abortion, highlighting his opposition to abortion rights in television ads. Junge responded that he would not support a federal ban on abortion.

Michigan's 7th District

In another race in central Michigan, Democrats are also pushing for a state lawmaker to try to keep Slotkin's current seat.

“When it comes to abortion, I think it will always remain an incredibly important issue because it is an issue of personal freedom. That’s not going to change,” said Curtis Hertel Jr., who served four terms as a state senator before working in Whitmer’s administration.

He faces a former Statehouse colleague. Tom Barrett, who previously served in the state Senate, is running again for the seat after losing to Slotkin by five points in 2022. Barrett has spent significantly more money this year, but has maintained a slower pace in Hertel's fundraising so far this year.

Barrett argued that a host of problems — illegal immigration, a cost-of-living crisis, crime in Lansing, the county's largest city, and global threats — have only increased in the last two years.

“I feel like there’s unfinished business,” he said.

Barrett didn't waver from his support for abortion restrictions at the Statehouse, saying he was “pro-life” but also describing abortion access as a settled issue in Michigan.

Virginia's 7th District

The highly anticipated race to replace Spanberger in the House of Representatives is taking place in Northern Virginia between two Army veterans and lawyers: Democrat Eugene Vindman and Republican Derrick Anderson.

Vindman, who promises to work to restore abortion rights that were lost under Roe v. Wade has proven to be a great fundraiser and is on pace to surpass Spanberger's 2022 total, giving him the advantage of early advertising. He and his twin brother Alexander Vindman played an important role in the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

Anderson, whose campaign did not grant an interview, emphasized his Army Special Forces background and sought to present a softer profile on abortion rights and economic issues. However, Anderson, who is currently engaged, caused a stir when he posed with a friend's wife and three daughters in a campaign photoshoot that could be mistaken for a family photo.

California's 47th District

On the West Coast, Republicans are trying to go on the offensive against Dave Min, the state's Democratic senator whom Porter recruited to fill her seat. Republican super PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund released an ad this week criticizing its support for criminal justice changes in the California State Assembly.

Republican Scott Baugh, a former Orange County GOP chairman, ticked off a list of local violent crimes and said Democrats were responsible for the “general concern that we are less safe than we were four years ago.”

In 2022, Porter's spending was significantly exceeded, but said spending this year “won't be quite as lopsided.”

Min noted that he has the support of the Los Angeles police union and has long advocated in the state Assembly for immigrants, who make up a large portion of the district.

He also has an advantage in fundraising, but said he still struggles with the mentality that the election “could be decided by a few hundred votes and could potentially determine control of Congress.”