Cable news and talk radio might not have existed in 1909, though that’s when lawmakers first slugged it out as part of the Congressional Baseball Game.
The annual matchup between Democrats and Republicans has been a fixture in the Washington, D.C., area for decades. The bipartisan event raises millions each year for local charities. Here is everything to know about the 2026 game.
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When and where to watch the game
The Congressional Baseball Game will be played at Nationals Park, home of the MLB’s Washington Nationals, in the Navy Yard neighborhood of D.C., less than two miles from Capitol Hill. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday.
Tickets are nearly sold out, though the game will be televised by C-SPAN and FOX Sports 1. C-SPAN, which airs congressional hearings and other political events daily, will provide an online livestream in addition to airing the program on its cable channel.
Notable players
Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill can’t claim to be professional athletes, even if they have plenty of experience playing legislative hardball.
One exception is Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX), the Republican team’s coach, who was drafted in the 25th round of the 1971 MLB draft. Williams played in the Atlanta Braves’ farm system and was an outfielder at Texas Christian University before that. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) will star opposite Williams as the Democrats’ team manager.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) has been a major presence at the game since he was shot in 2017 during a baseball practice before the game. The game added the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund to its list of charitable beneficiaries as a token of gratitude for the officers who protected the team. Scalise has hit a .333 average across previous congressional games.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) will round out the House-dominated Democratic team, while Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) will fill in the roster for the Republicans. It remains to be seen whether members of the upper chamber will hold their own.
This year’s players have managed three home runs in previous years. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), and Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) are the players to watch.
Past results
The Congressional Baseball Game has been played on and off since 1909, and the GOP leads the series 47–42–1. Republicans will look to defend a five-game winning streak, while Democrats are eager for their first victory since 2019.
Republicans walloped their colleagues from across the aisle in 2025, winning 13–2.
New players this year
Team managers Williams and Sanchez have opted to largely maintain their 2025 rosters, though the political churn of Capitol Hill has necessitated some tweaks.
Rep. Clay Fuller (R-GA), Rep. Craig Goldman (R-TX), and Rep. Matt Van Epps (R-TN) will debut this year for the Republicans. Fuller won an April special election to succeed former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who participated in the game in 2021.
New for the Democrats are Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX), Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), Rep. Josh Riley (D-NY), Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA).
Menefee is fresh off a home run in Texas’s 18th District, where the freshman congressman defeated longtime Rep. Al Green after their Houston districts were drawn together. Menefee will look to translate that political success to the baseball diamond.
Who has the edge?
The prediction market Kalshi is a “Hall of Fame” sponsor of the Congressional Baseball Game, though users are currently unable to place bets on its outcome.
The Democrats lost a valuable player in former Rep. Eric Swalwell, the California Democrat who resigned from the House in April amid sexual assault accusations. Swalwell participated in eight games and batted with a .200 average, an unimpressive number in the MLB but a decent performance in the congressional game.
Republicans, meanwhile, are walking into Nationals Park with their “bases loaded” — a president in the White House and majorities in the House and Senate.
Still, as lawmakers go to bat nearly daily, everyone wins at the Congressional Baseball Game.
Ticket sales from the game, which attracts tens of thousands of baseball fans every year, benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, the Washington Nationals Philanthropies, the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund, and other charities. The game raised more than $2.75 million last year, a record.
