GOP notches 11-2 rout for 6th straight Congressional Baseball Game win

WASHINGTON – The only thing the Democrats managed to beat at the 2026 Congressional Baseball Game on Wednesday night was the rain, as Republicans continued their dominance with an 11-2 blowout. 

The win marked the Republicans’ sixth straight win in the annual contest, though the streak did not hamper the Democrats’ trash talk. 

“Obviously we’re going to win,” Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego said before the game.

Regardless of blue or red uniform, players emphasized the value of sportsmanship, raising money for charity and taking a break from the partisanship at the nearby Capitol. Gallego spoke about common goals and working across the aisle.

“We want the best for Arizonans,” he said. “So this is just a great time for us to play against our teammates on the other side and enjoy America’s pastime.”

Two Arizona Democrats and one Arizona Republican played under the lights at Nationals Park this year. Showers ended shortly before lawmakers arrived. The grounds crew lifted the tarp from the diamond as the teams warmed up.

Gallego’s family joined him on the field and he and his daughter, Isla, almost 3, played in left field as teammates stretched and tossed balls. The senator stayed on the bench until the seventh and final inning. With two outs to go, he popped out to the Republican third baseman, Texas Rep. August Pfluger.

The Democrats hoped to end a losing streak going back to 2019, unbroken other than a hiatus in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the best they could manage was a slightly less lopsided loss than last year’s 13-2 trouncing – which was a vast improvement from the 31-11 fiasco of 2024.

Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Phoenix, was more cautious in his pregame trash talk than Gallego. Asked if he thought the Democrats had a shot at ending the GOP streak, he said, “I don’t know. I haven’t checked the odds on Kalshi.”

Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Tucson, recovering from elbow surgery, was relegated to pinch running this year.

“My legs are OK,” he said. “My elbow’s still getting there.”

A top target for Democrats in the midterms, Ciscomani credited the GOP team’s discipline and early morning practices for their success on the field.  

“I have to wake up at 4:50 in the morning,” he said. “That’s 1:50 Arizona time. We put in the work, man.”

As for legislating, he said, you have to “find common ground when you can,” but this game is about friendly competition.

“This game is to compete, and we’re going to get it done,” he said before the first pitch.

The annual game offers a brief respite from the rancor and long hours of Congress.

Rep. Greg Steube of Florida started on the mound for the Republicans and threw three shutout innings until the Democrats scored two runs in the fourth off California Rep. Dave Min’s line drive. Steube went on to throw a complete game without giving up another run.

He and Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo, shared MVP honors.

Schmitt earned his for heroics on both sides of the ball. The former Truman State University two-sport athlete made a diving catch in left field. He was No. 2 in the batting order, behind lead-off batter Steve Scalise, the House majority leader. 

Scalise is a fan favorite at this game, having narrowly survived a shooting during a practice in 2017.

The game was first held in 1909 and has been played most years since then with breaks for war and pandemic. It has served as a showcase both for bipartisanship and rivalry, athletic and political. 

This year’s game before a record crowd of 32,900 – including congressional aides in T-shirts with the boss’s name, and lobbyists – raised $3.25 million for D.C.-area charities, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and a memorial fund for U.S. Capitol Police.

The Republicans held their last practice the morning of the game. 

Manager Roger Williams of Texas, chair of the House Small Business Committee, said he just wanted “at least one more run than they have at the end of the day.”

Like a number of players on each side, Williams was a serious athlete in his prime, drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1971. He played three years in the minors and returned to his alma mater, Texas Christian University, to coach before going into politics.

The GOP catcher was a Navy SEAL. Other players had served as combat pilots. Gallego was a Marine.

Democrats’ prospects to snap their drought won’t look good if 14-year MLB veteran Mark Teixeira manages to win an open seat in Texas in November – a solid Republican district after the most recent remap. Teixeira hit 409 homers in his career and won the 2009 World Series with the New York Yankees.

In previous years, players have worn uniforms of favorite pro and local teams. Stanton wore the uniform of Mountain View High School in Mesa last year. 

This year each side wore matching uniforms.

The Democrats were in blue. The Republicans’ red uniforms featured the date of the 2017 shooting at which Scalise, Williams and others were hurt. 

After Democrats gave up five runs and with the bases loaded, manager Rep. Linda Sánchez of California – the first female manager in the game’s long history – made a mound visit to pull Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Deluzio

California Sen. Alex Padilla, who wasn’t sure before the game what position he would play, pitched the remainder of the game.

Republicans took advantage of his cold arm and scored three runs.

After that, the Democrats and their fans took pleasure in the little things, like when Stanton reached base safely.

“We’re glad our boss got to a base hit,” said his chief of staff, Brad Howard, seated with colleagues near the field on the third base side.

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