Below is a list of states that have not been prioritized by Democrats in the last two elections that I believe may be worth trying for this time around. These are not the traditional “purple states” like Ohio and Florida that we know are going to be targeted by both parties. These are states that lean Republican and have not been among Democrats’ top targets in the last two presidential elections. But they are states that I think Democrats can at least make competitive in 2008, building on the gains we made in 2006 and taking advantage of the more even playing field than the one we faced in 2004. The states I have picked may be long shots, but even if we don’t win them, if we can make the polls close enough, we can put Republicans on the defensive and force them to spend money in places they thought were safe.

So here’s my first set of picks for new red-to-blue targets: