WASHINGTON, February 28, 2026 — Democrats are launching a major effort to win back voters who didn’t participate in recent elections, focusing not on those who switched to Donald Trump, but on those who stayed home – a strategy they’re jokingly calling a campaign to lure voters off the “couch.”
Reaching the Unengaged: A New Democratic Push
The Democratic National Committee is targeting over one million infrequent voters in key districts with a new outreach program.
- The DNC’s “Local Listeners” initiative aims to engage voters who sat out the 2024 election despite having voted for Joe Biden in 2020.
- More than 2,000 volunteers have signed up for the program, which includes training on active listening and difficult conversations.
- The Trump campaign also prioritized outreach to infrequent voters in 2024, with those voters favoring Trump by a significant margin.
- Democrats are hoping recent electoral successes, including an upset in Texas, signal momentum heading into the 2026 midterms.
On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unveiled “Local Listeners,” an initiative designed to target over one million “infrequent” voters in crucial battleground districts. Building on a series of off-year election victories, including a recent upset in Texas, the DNC believes that early and localized outreach is essential to regaining the trust – and votes – of these individuals.
“If we want to keep earning back the trust and support of voters, we have to listen to them,” DNC chair Ken Martin said in a statement. “This program modernizes the way we are talking to and hearing from the voters that we need to win elections now and for years to come. The Democratic Party is done with waiting until the last minute to engage voters – these conversations need to happen early and often.”
What factors contribute to voter turnout, and why are infrequent voters a key target for both parties? The DNC’s program represents its most ambitious early voter outreach effort for a midterm cycle, according to the organization. Over 2,000 volunteers have already committed to participate, a sign of what the DNC describes as “renewed grassroots energy.”
These volunteers will undergo a seven-week training program focused on improving voter engagement, including sessions on “active listening” and “having difficult conversations about politics.” The goal is to connect with voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 but did not cast ballots in 2024, with volunteers planning to conduct at least 250,000 phone conversations and host over 50 grassroots events in key congressional districts by the end of March.
The Trump campaign employed a similar strategy in 2024, investing heavily in outreach to newly registered and “low propensity” voters – those registered but often inactive. According to the Pew Research Center, voters who participated in 2024 but skipped the 2020 election favored Trump by a margin of 54% to 42%.
Historically, the president’s party typically loses ground in midterm elections. However, Democrats are well-positioned to potentially regain control of the House – and possibly the Senate – as concerns about the high cost of living persist and public opinion regarding Trump’s economic policies cools.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) enters the 2026 midterm election year with a significant fundraising advantage over the DNC. Federal financial disclosures show the RNC raised $172 million in 2025, with $95 million in the bank, while the DNC raised $146 million but ended the year with only $14 million on hand and $17 million in debt.
Despite the financial disparity, Democratic leaders are optimistic that recent gains will translate into further victories in upcoming gubernatorial and congressional contests. “While Republicans ignore Americans, preferring to serve billionaires instead of everybody else, Democrats aim to reach over a million voters in the next few months,” Martin said. “And we’re going to talk about what matters in their lives: affordability, freedom, a shot at the American Dream. That’s how we win in 2026 and beyond.”
