Facing a difficult election environment, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced today it still plans to aggressively challenge as many as 24 Republican-held seats in 2010.

The committee released its list of 26 (non-incumbent) races it’s targeting, including 17 “top races” and nine “emerging races.”

The list of the top races includes five of the 14 open seats created by House Republican retirements, including the seats of Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Mike Castle (R-Del.), Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), and newly-retired John Shadegg (R-Ariz.)

Notably, the DCCC lists businessman Jon Hulburd as its favored candidate for Shadegg’s seat, indicating the party will be getting behind his candidacy as it attempts to pick up his Phoenix-based district.

The party also names its favored challengers this cycle, a list that includes Iraq war veteran Rob Miller (against South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson), Bethlehem (Pa.) Mayor John Callahan (against Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent), and businesswoman Suzan DelBene (against Washington Rep. Dave Reichert).

One of its emerging race challengers is businessman Grier Raggio, who is running against NRCC chairman Pete Sessions in his Dallas-area district.

“As these strong candidates continue building excitement for their campaigns to create jobs and help middle class families back home, the DCCC will help them become even more competitive in November,” said DCCC Executive Director Jon Vogel in a statement.

The full list of the DCCC’s top races and emerging races are below the jump:

Top Races

RACE                                        CANDIDATE
AZ-03 (Open-Shadegg)                Jon Hulburd
CA-03 (Lungren)                         Ami Bera
CA-45 (Bono Mack)                     Steve Pougnet
DE-AL (Open-Castle)                   John Carney
FL-12 (Open-Putnam)                 Lori Edwards
IL-10 (Open-Kirk)                      Primary
NE-02 (Terry)                             Tom White
OH-12 (Tiberi)                           Paula Brooks
KS-04 (Open-Tiahrt)                   Raj Goyle
LA-02 (Cao)                              Primary
MN-06 (Bachmann)                    Primary
PA-06 (Gerlach)                         Primary
PA-07 (Open-Sestak)                 Bryan Lentz
PA-15 (Dent)                             John Callahan
SC-02 (Wilson)                          Rob Miller
TN-08 (Open-Tanner)                 Roy Herron
WA-08 (Reichert)                       Suzan Delbene

Emerging Races

AK-AL (Young)                          Harry Crawford
AL-03 (Rogers)                         Josh Segall
CA-44 (Calvert)                        Bill Hedrick
FL-10 (Young)                          Charlie Justice
FL-16 (Rooney)                        Chris Craft
IL-13 (Biggert)                         Scott Harper
MN-03 (Paulsen)                      Primary
MO-08 (Emerson)                    Tommy Sowers
TX-32 (Sessions)                            Grier Raggio