The new six-figure program will place early, high-quality talent on battleground races and establish the talent pipeline Democrats need to run and win in 2026

Today, coming off a historic 2025 election year, where Democrats overperformed and won across the country, the Democratic National Committee announced two initiatives to lead on campaign talent recruitment and placement in 2026: the Battleground Leadership Project and BlueMatch — new programs aimed at ensuring that high-quality staff are in place early before the crucial midterm elections next year.

For too long, Democrats have not prioritized early hires. With the Battleground Leadership Project, the DNC will make a six figure investment to recruit and train Coordinated Campaign Directors and Organizing Directors to begin at the start of 2026 in key battleground states. This investment will help allow states to continue to raise funds without having to delay hiring, closing the months-long gap between when campaigns need early staff and when they can generally afford to bring them on.  

Since the 2025 elections alone, the DNC has seen a 76% increase in applicants in our talent resume bank. There are thousands of applicants in our resume bank ready to work, and the DNC has the opportunity to connect these staffers with job opportunities on campaigns and state parties across the country while building the talent pipeline we need to win in 2026. That’s why, starting in January, the DNC is establishing a resume matchmaking service — BlueMatch — that allows state parties and campaigns to request and receive strong candidates from the DNC’s talent bank as they hire up for 2026. Our goal is to place this talent directly where they are needed most. 

With these two flagship programs, the DNC will help ensure that Democrats have the best talent ready to launch and lead important work in key 2026 races, and that job seekers have an opportunity to join the fight ahead of the midterms.

DNC Chair Ken Martin issued the following statement:

“Following the success of the 2025 elections, it’s clear that Democrats have the momentum. As we head into the midterms, Democrats must seize this moment and ensure that our coordinated campaigns are staffed early with the strongest talent. There are thousands of people who want to join our movement, and the DNC will get them on the ground across the country through the Battleground Leadership Project and BlueMatch — two critical programs to ensure our coordinated campaigns and state parties have the high-quality staff they need to win in 2026.”