For Immediate Release

Washington, D.C. – The Next 50 today announced endorsements of four Congressional candidates in must-win races for Democrats: Bale Dalton in Florida’s 7th District, Brian Poindexter in Ohio’s 7th District, Rep. Shomari Figures in Alabama’s 2nd District, and Zach Dembo in Kentucky’s 6th District. The Next 50 is the leading organization investing in next-generation Democrats under 50 in competitive races nationwide, and these endorsements reflect its commitment to competing in districts across the map — from flip opportunities to must-hold seats.

“Real, durable majorities aren’t built by playing it safe — they’re built by showing up for exceptional candidates in districts with voters we must win back, “ said Mari Manoogian, Executive Director of The Next 50. “Bale Dalton spent 23 years defending this country in the Navy, and now he’s taking on an incumbent under ethics investigation in one of Florida’s most winnable seats. Brian Poindexter is a union ironworker who beat seven opponents in his primary and is ready to bring that same fight to Congress. We were proud to support Rep. Shomari Figures in his first campaign, and we’re proud to stand with him now as he defends that seat under a newly redrawn map. Zach Dembo built a career prosecuting cases as a federal attorney and Navy JAG veteran, and when doing the job right became impossible under a politicized Justice Department, he chose to fight for the rule of law by running for Congress in Kentucky, where his family has lived for nine generations.” 

Bale Dalton — Florida’s 7th District

A 23-year Navy veteran and former NASA Chief of Staff, Dalton is running against Republican incumbent Cory Mills, who is under House Ethics Committee investigation and faces a competitive primary of his own. Dalton has out-raised Mills more than five-to-one in early fundraising and enters the race with the DCCC’s Red to Blue designation. He is endorsed by New Politics, VoteVets, former Senator Bill Nelson, and former Rep. Stephanie Murphy.

Brian Poindexter — Ohio’s 7th District

A union ironworker, apprenticeship instructor, and Brook Park City Council member, Poindexter won a competitive eight-candidate primary with 37% of the vote. He faces Republican incumbent Max Miller in a Northeast Ohio district the DCCC has flagged as competitive. Poindexter is endorsed by the Ohio AFL-CIO and unions across the district, along with Reps. Ro Khanna and Pat Ryan.

Rep. Shomari Figures — Alabama’s 2nd District

Figures, who flipped AL-02 in 2024 with 54.6% of the vote, is running for reelection under a newly redrawn map that a lower court had previously found racially discriminatory. He is a DCCC Frontline incumbent and one of only two Democrats in Alabama’s congressional delegation. The Next 50 supported his 2024 campaign and is renewing that commitment for 2026.

Zach Dembo — Kentucky’s 6th District

A ninth-generation Kentuckian, Navy JAG veteran, and former federal prosecutor who resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s office in 2025 over the politicization of the Justice Department, Dembo is running for the open seat vacated by Andy Barr. He won his May primary outright against a field of seven and has been endorsed by Governor Andy Beshear, former Lexington mayor Jim Gray, and Serve America.