House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said his party is on track to retake the majority by winning conservative areas carried by Donald Trump.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that Democrats are on track to win back control of the House by flipping congressional districts won by President Donald Trump two years ago.
Speaking on a conference call with reporters a month before the Nov. 3 midterms, Jeffries compared the race to 2018, when Democrats took the House majority during Trump’s first term. Jeffries, who is from New York and in line to become speaker if Democrats win, said most of the seats the party flipped in 2018 were in districts Trump won in 2016.
“House Democrats are poised to take back the majority,” Jeffries said. “In 2026, we’re poised to do the same thing.”
Redistricting and target seats
Early voting is underway in a narrowly divided House where only a few seats will determine party control. Democrats are attempting to expand the map into conservative areas despite facing a fundraising disadvantage.
Jeffries said a Trump-led redistricting effort to draw favorable Republican districts in Florida, Texas and other states backfired in several areas. “The Republican gerrymandering scheme has failed,” Jeffries said.
Late last week, the House Democrats’ campaign arm expanded its targets by adding eight districts to its map, including seats in Kansas, Oklahoma, Virginia and Washington state.
GOP cash and campaign trail
Republicans hold a sizable cash advantage. House Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the party close to Trump to defend the majority, and Trump is campaigning across red states to energize his base.
Trump has promised voters $5,000 cash dividends if Republicans win, though it’s uncertain whether Congress would fund the estimated $1 trillion-plus program. Over the weekend, Trump also announced $90 payments to seniors to help pay Medicare premiums.
Republicans also face pressure over high gas prices stemming from the war with Iran. Jeffries said Republicans are “failing and flailing,” adding, “The American people are not buying what MAGA Republicans are trying to sell.”
Jeffries cautioned that “anything and everything” is possible and said Democrats must stay focused. “We can’t afford to take anything for granted,” he said.
Both leaders plan to stay on the road. Johnson campaigned in California last week and is scheduled to visit more than 40 districts across roughly 20 states before November. Jeffries spent the weekend in Western states and said he will continue traveling in the coming weeks.
