Democrats are launching an aggressive campaign to win back voters they lost, not to Donald Trump, but to the proverbial “couch,” as they look to regain support ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) rolled out a new initiative called Local Listeners with the goal of targeting over one million “infrequent” voters in key battleground districts. Seeking to build on the party’s string of off-year election victories, which extended into 2026 with an upset in Texas last weekend, the DNC is betting that early, localized outreach will be crucial in winning back these voters’ trust – and their ballots – this time around.

“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, shared in advance with the Guardian. “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.”

The program marks the DNC’s most ambitious early voter outreach effort for a midterm cycle, according to the organization. More than 2,000 volunteers have already signed up to participate in what the groups says is a sign, of “renewed grassroots energy” for the party.

Volunteers will undergo a seven-week training program on how to better engage these voters, including sessions on “active listening” and “having difficult conversations about politics”.

The goal is to engage voters who cast ballots for Joe Biden in 2020 but sat out in 2024, with volunteers aiming to conduct at least 250,000 phone conversations and host more than 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 who are registered but often don’t vote. According to the Pew Research Center, voters who cast ballots in 2024 but skipped the 2020 election despite being eligible, favored Trump by a margin of 54% to 42%.

The president’s party typically loses ground in the midterm elections, with Democrats well-positioned to retake control of the House – and possibly the Senate – as concerns persist about the high cost of living and Americans sour on Trump’s stewardship of the economy.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) enters the 2026 midterm election year with a vast fundraising advantage over the DNC, according to federal financial disclosures. The RNC reported raising $172m in 2025, with $95m in the bank, while the DNC raised $146m but ended the year with just $14m in hand and $17m in debt.

But party leaders are hopeful Democrats’ recent gains will foreshadow even more wins in this year’s 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.”