Democrats list their House members most at risk in 2016

Getting an early start on shoring up at-risk members, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Thursday released a list of 14 it deems most vulnerable in next year’s elections.

Five of the Democratic members of Congress on the list represent districts in California and all overcame challenges in last year’s elections, most in costly elections that drew national attention.

They are Reps. Ami Bera in the Sacramento suburbs, Julia Brownley in Ventura County, Pete Aguilar and Raul Ruiz in the Inland Empire and Scott Peters in San Diego.

They and nine other Democratic House members were named to the DCCC’s “Frontline” program, which seeks to provide fundraising and organizational help for their reelection campaigns.

Democrats shouldn’t have as rough a go this time around because their voters usually turn out in higher numbers when the presidency is at stake.

House Democrats lost 13 seats in the 2014 election but none was in California, where the party picked up an open seat that had been in Republican hands.

Democrats would need to pick up a net 30 seats to win back the House majority.

“Each one of these members knows what it takes to win tough elections: working hard, standing up for your district and not taking anything for granted,” DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico said in a statement.

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