What's it like to run for Congress when the odds are stacked heavily against you?

The majority of congressional races this cycle are rated either solid Democrat or solid Republican. They're the opposite of tossups, where candidates from the minority party face near impossible odds.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4500x3001+0+0/resize/4500x3001!/quality/85/format/webp/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9f%2Fdb%2F6001bf054f61a20d042f67df24fd%2F20261119-npr-lisa-kinney-050a2175.JPG' alt='Democratic congressional hopeful Lisa Kinney campaigns at Johnny J's Diner in Casper, Wyo. on October 19, 2026.'/><p>The majority of congressional races this cycle are rated either solid Democrat or solid Republican. They're the opposite of tossups, where candidates from the minority party face near impossible odds.</p><p>(Image credit: Natalie Behring for NPR)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5995461' />