NRCC adds 5 more candidates to 'MAGA Majority' program

Mary Ellen McIntire, CQ-Roll Call on Sep 8, 2026

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WASHINGTON — The National Republican Congressional Committee is adding five new candidates to its “MAGA Majority” program for strong challengers, the group shared first Tuesday with CQ Roll Call.

The additional candidates, who bring the total number of challengers in the program to 27, hail largely from Florida, which held its primary elections three weeks ago. Most of the nominees emerged from crowded primary fields for districts Republicans view as pickup opportunities under the state’s new congressional map.

“House Republicans have an incredible bench of proven leaders who are ready to take the fight to the radical socialists,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson of North Carolina said in a statement. “These candidates have what it takes to win, deliver for their communities, and help us keep America on the path to prosperity and security.”

The new candidates from Florida are:

•Navy veteran Dan Green, who is challenging Rep. Darren Soto in the 9th District

•Former state Rep. Mike Beltran, who is challenging Rep. Kathy Castor in the 14th

•Businessman Casey Askar in the open 22nd

•Former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, who is challenging Rep. Jared Moskowitz in the 25th

Florida’s map, which state Republicans redrew this spring, now favors the GOP in 24 of the state’s 28 House districts. Despite the less than favorable lines, Democrats are hopeful of retaining some of those seats, and the party is also targeting several GOP-held districts.

The fifth new candidate on the MAGA Majority list is North Carolina state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, whom a party committee picked last month to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards on the ballot for the 11th District. She’s taking on farmer Jamie Ager, whom Democrats consider a top recruit who can force a competitive race in a district that Trump carried by 9 points in 2024, according to calculations by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales.

Edwards dropped his reelection bid last month after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured for “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two female staffers.

The House last week voted, 413-2, to censure Edwards.

The new additions come after the NRCC recently took New York state Sen. Peter Oberacker off the MAGA Majority list . Oberacker, who is challenging freshman Democrat Josh Riley, drew scrutiny last month for a decade-old social media post in which he paid tribute to his German grandfather, who served in the Nazi military.