(CNN) The conservative political network affiliated with billionaire Charles Koch intends to launch its widest election effort in 2020 and could engage in nearly 200 federal and state races this year, top Koch officials tell CNN.

In recent years, the network has signaled it is moving away from partisan issues and has begun to show support for a handful of Democrats who side with Koch's views on issues such as trade, immigration and overhauling the criminal justice system. In an interview with CNN, top Koch official Emily Seidel said the new focus doesn't mean the group will retreat from politics.

"The people who thought that we may have been backing down from politics are going to be surprised, because the reality is we've been strengthening our capabilities to go bigger than ever before," said Seidel, who is CEO of Americans for Prosperity, the main grassroots and political arm of the sprawling network associated with the Kansas billionaire.

In the 2018 midterm elections, the group and its political action committee, AFP Action, were active in 64 races. It is looking to double or triple that number in 2020, Koch officials said. Last year, they were active in 38 races in four states, their largest off-year engagement, officials said.

Koch officials would not disclose how much they plan to spend in 2020.

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