WASHINGTON - Democrats hope to pick up as many as six congressional seats in Ohio this November as they try to win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives by riding a grassroots backlash against President Donald Trump.

In a briefing with reporters on Friday, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico identified 104 Republican seats around the country as winnable for Democrats, including those held by Holmes County's Bob Gibbs, Bainbridge Township's Dave Joyce, Cincinnati's Steve Chabot, Dayton's Mike Turner and Columbus' Steve Stivers.

The Democratic campaign organization also believes the Columbus-area seat vacated by Republican Pat Tiberi's resignation to lead the Ohio Business Roundtable might be winnable, Lujan said.

"The quickest way to restore checks and balances in America is winning back the House of Representatives," said Lujan, who said Republicans hold many seats because of gerrymandered districts that Democrats can win if there's strong turnout.

Republicans were skeptical of the Democrats' clams.

"The DCCC can't wish a seat into play," said Jesse Hunt of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "They are remarkably consistent when it comes to over-promising and under-delivering, and they'll fail to flip every one of these seats."

Lujan praised Democratic challenger Ken Harbaugh of Avon for holding town hall meetings in the district represented by Gibbs, one of the Republican held areas where "people are frustrated because their representatives aren't holding town halls." Harbaugh's campaign recently announced it has raised more than $1 million.

Lujan said Joyce's Democratic challenger - attorney Betsy Rader of Russell Township - has also demonstrated strong fundraising, collecting nearly $400,000 before the end of 2017.

DCCC spokeswoman Meredith Kelly said the congressional seat that will be vacated by Wadsworth Republican Rep. Jim Renacci's decision to run for U.S. Senate could also make it onto her group's target list, which is constantly being reevaluated.

A spokesman for Gibbs' campaign dismissed the contention that Harbaugh could win the seat.

"Gibbs will continue to represent the conservative values of the constituents of the seventh district," said Gibbs' spokesman Dallas Gerber.

Joyce spokesman Dino DiSanto said his boss has been a DCCC target "since before he was elected."

"This election is still months away and Dave is going to focus on the job he has been sent to Washington to do for the people of Northeast Ohio," DiSanto said. When the time is right, we will put forward Dave's strong record of protecting the Great Lakes, supporting small business, and finding a solution to the opioid crisis."

Lujan said he believes the Cincinnati-area seat held by Chabot represents the best chance for a Democratic pickup. Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval - who defeated politically connected GOP incumbent Tracy Winkler to win that job in 2016 - is now seeking Chabot's seat.

The organization last month named Pureval part of its "Red to Blue" program, which provides "top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support" as well as strategic guidance and candidate training. Pureval is the only Ohioan in that program.