Democrats put early target on Denham’s seat in Congress

The Democratic Party announced Thursday that it is already targeting the seat of Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, in the 2018 election.

The news comes two months after Denham defeated Michael Eggman despite the challenger’s extra monetary support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The committee did not specify possible candidates or the level of spending this time around. It did say it hopes to harness anger over Donald Trump becoming president. Eggman based much of his campaign on Denhman’s support for the Republican billionaire.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is ready for the challenge, said Jack Pandol, western regional press secretary, in an email Thursday.

“Californians know Jeff Denham is a leader for the Central Valley who has delivered for our farmers and small businesses,” Pandol said. “Democrats target this seat every year, and every year their candidate fails to measure up.”

Denham’s 10th Congressional District covers Stanislaus County and southern San Joaquin County. At last report, 39 percent of voters were registered as Democrats and 36 percent as Republicans.

This is one of 20 seats targeted by the Democrats in the 435-seat House. The others in California are held by south-state Republicans Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. The GOP has a 47-seat margin in the House, down from 58 before the November vote.

The 10th became a high-profile race last year after Eggman improved in pre-election surveys. This prompted a boost in spending by both sides and a visit to Modesto on the incumbent’s behalf by House Speaker Paul Ryan.

The new Democratic push is called March Into ’18. Leaders said it would build on post-election protests seeking to preserve women’s rights, the Affordable Care Act and other achievements. The committee plans to hire a district-based organizer and run digital advertising.

“A groundswell of people are looking for ways to tell their stories, channel their energy and organize for change in California, and this DCCC project will help do just that,” said chairman Ben Ray Luján, a House member from New Mexico, in a news release.

This story was originally published February 2, 2017 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Democrats put early target on Denham’s seat in Congress."