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Perlmutter, Ed, Colorado 7th

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Courtney, Joe, Connecticut, 2nd

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Farrell, Dianne, Connecticut, 4th

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Klein, Ron, Florida, 22nd

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Braley, Bruce, Iowa, 1st

U.S. Army major and Iraqi war veteran Tammy Duckworth is attracting a lot of attention as she seeks to capture the suburban Chicago district that belonged to the retiring Henry Hyde. A PhD candidate and National Guard member, Duckworth was co-piloting a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq when an insurgent's rocket-propelled grenade tore through the cockpit. She lost both her legs. Returning home, the former Rotary International supervisor, who managed community-service projects in developing countries, was recruited by the Democrats to vie for this seat. And she has turned out to be a formidable candidate: Polls show Duckworth shows her virtually tied with Republican former Tom DeLay aide Peter Roskam.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

And in terms of fundraising, Duckworth opened up an early lead, amassing twice Roskam's total from April to June. The Cook Report now rates this race as a toss-up, and Congressional Quarterly put it in is "no clear favorite" category on August 11th, but Duckworth currently trails in cash on hand by $400,000, according to the latest filing. She needs your help to catch up, so that she can capture a seat that has been in Republican hands for 16 years.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth is calling out loopy incumbent Republican John Hostettler in Indiana's 8th district, one of the handful of races that the Cook Political Report rates a true toss-up. Cook and other handicappers believe that Hostettler is vulnerable, pointing to his slim winning margins and lack of campaign funds. But don't let Hostettler's meager fundraising totals fool you. He tends to run stealth campaigns, hiding his message while relying on the Republican Party to run nasty attack ads - which it happily does, to the tune of $700,000 in the last election.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

Even worse, Hostettler routinely engages in his own smear campaigns that would be considered out of bounds by most candidates; in one recent example, his surrogate shopped to journalists pictures of Ellsworth's daughter with a drink in her hand. But perhaps he is spending time on smears because his message is so warped.

The race for Indiana's 9th district has "Democratic pick-up" written all over it. This is the third time that Republican Mike Sodrel and Democrat Baron Hill are battling for this seat, with Hill, who had held the seat since 1999, winning in 2002 and Sodrel taking the seat in 2004 by a razor-thin 1,500 votes. Sodrel had the honor of having the smallest winning percentage, 49.5%, out of any race that year. Perhaps it's no surprise that Sodrel won in a presidential year, when gay marriage was also on the ballot,

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

but without that, the Cook Political Report, Congressional Quarterly and The New York Times all rate this a toss-up. Hill is leading in the polls, but as the campaign enters is final stages, Hill is nearly $200,000 behind Sodrel in fundraising, and can use our support to take back this seat and help us capture Congress.

After serving three terms, Democrat Ken Lucas voluntarily gave up his House seat to honor a term-limit pledge, enabling the candidate he bested in 2002, Republican Geoff Davis, to take the seat in 2004. Now Lucas is running to get his Congressional seat back -- and he's got one of the best chances in the nation to pick up one of the 15 Republican seats we need to capture Congress. Acknowledging Lucas's experience as a successful candidate and current momentum in the race, Congressional Quarterly recently changed its handicapping of Kentucky's 4th district from "leans Republican" to "toss-up."

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

And an independent poll by WCPO-TV/SurveyUSA shows Lucas leading 50% to 41%. But after Bush came to town to raise $450,000 for Davis, Lucas trails in fundraising, with $600,000 on hand compared with Davis's $1.5 million as of the end of the last reporting period. This is a tremendous opportunity for the Democrats to pick up a seat from the Republicans, and Lucas needs our donations to make it happen.

Hounded by ethics charges, millionaire Republican incumbent Charles Taylor is hoping voters ignore his ties to Jack Abramoff, his bank's fraudulent loans to Republican operatives, and his history of submitting legislation written by corporations. Taking on this glaring symbol of the Republican culture of corruption is former Washington Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler, now a successful real estate entrepreneur who has been running a smart campaign. To date, Shuler has raised just as much money as Taylor, although everyone expects Taylor to pump his own millions into the race.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

The Cook Political Report is calling this a toss-up, but the most recent poll shows Shuler ahead 48% to 43%. Taylor has already run his first attack ads, which misrepresent Shuler's position on immigration. We're sure there are more ugly attacks to come. But this increasingly Democratic district is poised to elect Shuler, and with your donation to his campaign, we'll pick up this important seat.

New Mexico's popular Attorney General, Patricia Madrid, is looking to oust Republican Heather Wilson in New Mexico's 1st district, which encompasses the greater Albuquerque area. Madrid, a strong campaigner, is poised to finally capture this district, which Kerry carried in 2004 and numbers more Democrats than Republicans. But it won't be easy. With more than $2 million on hand -- $375,000 raised from a recent Bush visit -- Wilson has already launched her first negative smear ad on local television - a pattern among Republicans who are smearing early and often at the start of this election season.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

The public polls show this race a dead heat, so your donations to Madrid can help tip the balance.

The race for Ohio's 18th got tighter on August 15th when Republican incumbent, Bob Ney, facing a federal investigation over his ties to convicted influence-peddler Jack Abramoff, officially withdrew from the race. Joy Padgett jumped in, but she is down in the polls - 45% to 31% - and having to play catch-up to the Democrat in the race, Zach Space, the city attorney of Dover who is highlighting his commitment to ethical representation. Space has raised $460,000 as of the end of the last reporting period, but he'll need a good deal more as the Republicans throw the mud in the closing month of the campaign.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

With Ney's notoriety, this will remain a high-profile race, but the only way to win it is to ensure that Zach Space has the funds to compete. Consider a donation to Space a leg up to a strong candidate and a strategic gift to help the Democrat capture Congress.

Democrat Lois Murphy ran against incumbent Jim Gerlach in 2004, losing by only 2%, the closest margin of any reelected incumbent that year. This time, election handicappers are giving her a solid chance at claiming Pennsylvania's 6th district, which covers some of the Philadelphia suburbs. Murphy has kept pace with Gerlach's fundraising and even has a slight edge, as of the end of the last reporting period, in cash on hand. It's interesting to note not only the fundraising totals, but also the quality of the donors. Gerlach's campaign contribution list reads like who's who of corrupt Republicans: Bob Ney, Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham and a stunning $30,000 from the political action committee of Tom DeLay, with whom Gerlach votes 90% of the time. Will all Gerlach's funds help him? The 6th went for Kerry in 2004, and during this election season, Murphy should also benefit from Democratic Governor Ed Rendell's gubernatorial re-election campaign and his well-organized voter-turnout machine.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

The Washington Post has called Gerlach one of the most vulnerable Republican in the country. But no one is expecting this to be an easy race, especially if Gerlach employs the same tactics he used in 2004, when he ludicrously accused Murphy of sympathizing with the Taliban. Murphy, an attorney and adjunct professor at Temple's law school, needs your help in what is among the most expensive House races in the country.

In New York's 24th district, Republican Sherwood Boehlert is retiring and Democrat Michael Arcuri, the Oneida County District Attorney, is running against Raymond Meier to capture the open seat. The New York Times, Congressional Quarterly and the Cook Political Report all agree that this race is a toss-up, but the race is still under the radar of many race watchers. Already up in one poll, Arcuri is sure to benefit from the coattails of two broadly popular New York Democrats who are assured of victory in November: Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who is running for Governor, and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is running for re-election. And Arcuri has a rich vein of swing voters to tap into: a third of registered voters are independents in this district. But Meier is running a tough campaign that seeks to paper over his right wing votes as a state Senator.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

One analysis of his voting record by the Drum Major Institute has him siding with the middle class only 36% of the time - an important statistic in a district where employment is always issue #1. This is a race where candidates have each raised less than half a million as of the end of the last reporting period. That means that small contributions can help swing this one in the Democrats' favor, picking up one more in the broader campaign to capture Congress.

You simply must donate to Nick Lampson. Think how good it will feel that your donation is going straight to the Democrat that ousts Tom DeLay once and for all. DeLay, who resigned from his seat in disgrace and is now facing trial on conspiracy and money-laundering charges, has been forced back on the ballot by a federal appeals court ruling. Despite DeLay's best efforts to get a write-in candidate to fill his shoes, it will be DeLay vs. Lampson in November. Lampson is a former Congressman who had the ground shift under him when DeLay's notorious mid-decade gerrymander of Texas went into effect. Lampson found himself in an overwhelmingly Republican district, and he lost in 2004.

Funds as of 9.25.06

No Public Polls

But now Lampson is back, running in the 22nd district, which contains a good portion of his old district, the one he represented so ably for eight years. Think about November 8th, the day after the election, when you can tell your friends that you personally helped bring down Tom DeLay. Donate to Nick Lampson now.

Incumbent Republican Senator Jim Talent is against raising the minimum wage, he wants to criminalize the burning of the American flag, and he is a vociferous opponent of life-saving stem-cell research. Polls have shown that a majority of Missourians differ with Talent on these issues, but this Conservative is a favorite of the Bush administration. So the special-interest money has poured in; Dick Cheney even held a fundraiser for him.

Fortunately, Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill, a tough, high-profile Democrat with twenty years of political experience, announced in August 2005 that she would challenge Talent. On the campaign trail, she has been a strong critic of the Bush administration and the Republican-dominated "rubber-stamp Congress."

The latest SurveyUSA poll shows the race to be even, and the Cook Political Report calls the race a toss-up - all of which is amazing when you consider the disparity in fund-raising. McCaskill has raised a little over $4 million, compared to Talent's $20 million. Think about that: $16 million difference, but they're even in the polls.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

Remember, this is the Senate seat that Democrat Mel Carnahan won in the 2000 race against Republican John Ashcroft - even though Carnahan had died in a plane crash three weeks before the election! Carnahan's widow, Jean, was appointed to the seat in 2001, but she lost it to Talent in November 2002 by a mere 1.1%. We want that seat back. Now is the time to contribute to McCaskill so that her effort to oust Talent and our effort to recapture Congress will be successful.

In Montana's Senate race, Jon Tester, straight-talking, straight-shooting farmer and President of the Montana State Senate, is on track to end the ignominious career of Republican Conrad Burns and put one more Senate seat in the Democratic column. Despite the fact that Montana voted heavily for President George W. Bush in his re-election bid in 2004, the state now has a Democratic-controlled legislature, a Democratic governor (Brian Schweitzer), and one Democratic Senator (Max Baucus). The task now is to oust Burns. According to the Rasmussen Report, Burns, in office since 1989, is the second-most vulnerable Senator up for re-election, after Republican Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Why is Burns so vulnerable? Perhaps, as Time magazine put it, he's one of America's five worst Senators. His legislative record is paltry. He's offensive and abusive. And his ties to jailed Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff are being looked into by federal investigators.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

The task now is to oust Burns. According to the Rasmussen Report, Burns, in office since 1989, is the second-most vulnerable Senator up for re-election, after Republican Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Why is Burns so vulnerable? Perhaps, as Time magazine put it, he's one of America's five worst Senators. His legislative record is paltry.

With a distinguished 30-year career in government - in the Ohio House of Representatives, as the Ohio Secretary of State, and as a U.S. Congressman - Sherrod Brown is in a strong position to unseat two-term incumbent Republican Senator Mike DeWine. Though The New York Times says this race is leaning Republican, and the Cook Political Report calls it a toss-up, a recent Mason-Dixon poll show Brown eking out a lead, 45% to 43%. Brown's lead can be attributed to national and Ohio Republican Party scandals, with many voters believing that the Republican Party has lost its ethical compass. Ohio Representative Bob Ney's indictment deepened that belief. Ohio has long been a swing state in national elections, with the swing going the Republican way in recent years. Now it is swinging back to the Democratic side. President Bush has already been to Ohio twice, stumping and raising money for DeWine.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

DeWine even held a $100-a-plate dinner for Karl Rove, and he holds a $10.6-million to $3.7-million edge over Brown in fundraising. Now is the time to support Sherrod Brown financially - and return this Ohio Senate seat to the Democrats.

Where do we start with Republican Senator Rick Santorum, possibly the most odious elected official in the country? Is it his holier-than-thou demeanor? His recent exploitation of his own kids for political purposes? How he bilked one town out of funds to send his kids to the school of his choice? His press conference maintaining that we had actually found WMD in Iraq, which his own party thought was odd? His support for the Green party candidate in Pennsylvania in a sad effort to split the progressive vote? For so many reasons, experts are calling Santorum "the most vulnerable" member of Congress seeking reelection this year. Running against Santorum is Pennsylvania State Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr., who has opened up a substantial 14% lead in the most recent Qunnipiac poll. But Casey, whose father was Pennsylvania Governor from 1987 to 1995, needs your support.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

As of the last reporting period, Santorum has raised more than $21 million to Casey's $11 million. Seriously, Santorum needs to lose for the infamous "man on dog" episode alone, which gave America a peek into his twisted psyche. So please, donate to Bob Casey, a strong Democrat who can remove Santorum from office and help us gain a majority in the Senate.

Few Democrats are sorry that Republican Senator Bill Frist, the former surgeon who so brazenly diagnosed (that is, misdiagnosed) Terry Schiavo via videotape, is retiring at the end of his second term in a delusional attempt at a run for President. And now, the door is wide open for the Democrats to win a Tennessee Senate seat for the fist time since 1994. And the man to take that seat is five-term U.S. Representative Harold Ford, Jr. A rising star in the Democratic Party, Ford was the keynote speaker at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. He proved his statewide appeal in the August Democratic primary by winning the nomination by a wide margin. Ford's opponent is Bob Corker, a strong campaigner. A former mayor of Chattanooga, Corker made a bid for the same Senate seat in 1994 but was defeated in the Republican primary by Bill Frist. Now Ford and Corker will face off in a series of debates. A new Mason-Dixon poll shows this rate a dead heat, and the Cook Political Report ranks the race as a toss-up.

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

So far, Corker has raised more than $7.3 million to Ford's $6.4 million. Big numbers, to be sure, but your contribution matters, and can help Ford take back a long-lost Democratic seat—and help us capture Congress.

This is the race that could give the Senate majority to the Democrats. Of the six Senate seats we need to capture, this will be the toughest, as Republican Lincoln Chafee is trying to make Rhode Islanders believe that he is a Democrat. But the true Democrat in the race, and the one who will give us control of the Senate if he wins, is Sheldon Whitehouse. Whitehouse currently leads Chafee in the polls but trails him by more than half a million dollars as of the end of the last reporting period. Chafee just tacked left to fend off a September primary challenge by Cranston Mayor and confirmed right winger Steve Laffey, but don't be fooled: Chafee just hired the wife of James Tobin for his campaign. Who is James Tobin you ask? Remember the guy who was convicted in New Hampshire of jamming Democrat's call centers on election day? Yes, it's James Tobin. I wonder what Mrs. Tobin has up her sleeve for Whitehouse...

Funds as of 9.25.06

Polls as of 10.2.06

But we can stop it. The pundits call this one a toss up, but with your donation to Sheldon Whitehouse, we'll call it a Democratic win.