WASHINGTON – Republicans won their fifth straight Congressional Baseball Game with a decisive 13-2 win on Wednesday night, further cementing their dominance in the capital – in Congress and on the diamond.
For the Democrats, shut out in the House and Senate by a handful of votes, it was a far better showing than last year’s whopping 31-11 loss. They kept it close early on, though sloppy fielding typical of middle-aged athletes let the GOP pull away.
“Our goal is to win. That’s our principal goal,” said Rep. Juan Ciscomoni, R-Tucson, who came off the bench in the bottom of the fifth inning to pinch run for teammate Eric Schmitt of Missouri, one of three senators on the rosters.
Ciscomani was forced out at second on a grounder to short. He quickly returned to the dugout.
The two other Arizona players fared little better.
Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Phoenix, struck out swinging in the sixth inning, his only at-bat.
“We’re here in Congress to fight for our values, and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said. But for the annual game “you kind of leave the fights and the battles that we do on the House floor … off the field. We come together in this great bipartisan tradition every year and have fun.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat playing his first game as a senator, warmed up before the game playing catch with his 8-year-old son, Michael. They posed on the field with the senator’s wife, Sydney Gallego, visibly pregnant.
“I have a big family and tomorrow, my third baby is due, so things are looking good,” the senator said before the opening pitch. (His son, Cooper, was born Thursday.)
By the time he got into the game it was top of the seventh, with two out and his side trailing by 11 runs. Rep. Pat Harrigan of North Carolina was on the mound by then. Gallego showed a bunt and took the pitch for a game-ending third strike.
Heading into Wednesday night’s annual rematch, Democrats’ best showing in the last five years was in 2020 – when the game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democrats had a three-game winning streak before the pandemic hiatus and kept it within one run in 2021 before going off a cliff. They dropped a 10-0 shutout in 2022 and lost 16-6 in 2023.
The lawmakers played under the lights at Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals, before a crowd of aides, lobbyists and other supporters. Networking was a common sight on the concourses.
Paid attendance topped 31,000, exceeding last year’s record. The game raised more than $2.8 million through ticket sales, donations and corporate sponsorships — a new game record, according to the Congressional Sports for Charity Foundation. Proceeds go to dozens of D.C.-area charities, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and a memorial fund for U.S. Capitol Police.
“Sports is one of the few things in this nation or culture that’s able to bring us together,” said Sal Lee, an Arizona State University graduate who works for Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. “It’s always nice to see competitive spirit for both parties.”
The Democrats batted first and initial signs were that they had stepped up their offensive game from 2024. But after loading the bases, they ended the first inning scoreless – robbed by a diving catch on a screaming grounder down the line by third baseman August Pfluger of Texas.
After two innings, the Republicans led 3-0. But Democrats snapped the shutout in the top of the third with an RBI triple from Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz.
Cheers erupted from the visitor side of Nationals Park.
On the first base side, Republicans wore matching red uniforms with “USA” emblazoned across the front. Many repped red MAGA hats or arrived in caps that spelled out “Make America Great Again” — as did many of their fans.
The starting GOP pitcher, Florida Rep. Greg Steube, arrived in gold Trump sneakers signed by the president but switched to cleats before stepping onto the mound.
Democrats were more ragtag in mismatched jerseys from local college and hometown major league teams in their districts, though some, including Gallego, opted for a matching blue shirt with “Democrat” across the chest.
Stanton, playing in his sixth congressional game, wore the uniform of Mountain View High School in Mesa.
“At my age, I have no business playing baseball,” — to keep up this wonderful tradition, I enjoy playing,” the 55-year-old Stanton said before warm-ups. “We’re competitors. You wouldn’t be in politics if you didn’t like to compete.”
Stanton lost his starting position at third to Rep. Dan Goldman – the two-term New Yorker who served as chief Democratic counsel at President Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry.
Most players wore the number of their congressional districts, which made for lots of redundancy. For much of the game, the Republican shortstop and third baseman both wore 11.
Lawmakers held early morning practice for months leading up to the game, except on recess weeks.
“I ran it like spring training,” said the Republican coach, Rep. Roger Williams of Texas, who chairs the Small Business Committee and played minor league ball and coached at the college level.
Preparation for next year’s rematch will start immediately, he said after the latest win.
“Even though we only play one game, we actually like playing the practices, early morning before the rigmarole at the House floor,” Stanton said. “It’s a good way to connect with your friends and a lot of fun.”
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