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More than a million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, and early polling and voting data so far is giving Democrats reason for optimism.
But if the left retakes the House, what would they actually do with the power?
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) says the agenda would include restoring healthcare spending cuts, reviving enhanced Obamacare subsidies, and launching an aggressive new round of investigations into the Trump administration.
Jeffries told The Wall Street Journal he is “very confident” Democrats will take back the House, though he acknowledged that “it remains to be seen what that looks like in terms of the number of seats.” Republicans hold a razor-thin 218-214 majority and can only afford to lose a handful of seats. If team blue flips enough to win the majority, Jeffries would be positioned to become speaker of a caucus riddled with ideological division.
The Brooklyn Democrat, however, insisted his party is united around reversing Medicaid cuts and restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, as Democrats throw bones for voters other than their constant, anti-Trump posturing. Jeffries also offered a glimpse of what a working relationship with the president would look like.
“We will cross that bridge when we get to it, based on what happens on Nov. 3, and then it will fall into the hands of the caucus to determine who is put in position to help lead us forward,” he said.
Jeffries also said Democrats would push back on the ongoing war with Iran and signaled that a Democratic House would turn its investigative machinery toward the Trump administration.
“These are all things that are going to need to be thoroughly investigated as part of our pledge to hold the crooks accountable beginning on day one,” Jeffries said.
For months, Trump has warned that Democrats will move to impeach him if they retake the House — a move that would likely hit a brick wall in the Senate, where control is also up for grabs in November. Some House Democrats have already introduced failed resolutions to impeach Trump this year, according to House records.
Still, Jeffries praised Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Oversight Committee ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), saying they have “been doing a great job to date” and are “just getting started.”
Republicans, however, aren’t giving up just yet. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) sounded bullish on the GOP’s prospects of keeping its majority.
“I’m going to be the Speaker in the next Congress,” Johnson told Fox News Thursday. “I’m not going to talk about the scenario where we don’t win the House, because I am laser-focused on winning the House.”
The confidence comes as Johnson’s team announced a record $30 million fundraising haul for the third quarter, bringing his total to $156 million this cycle, Axios first reported. Johnson’s team says that’s the most raised by any Republican leader at this point in an election cycle and has distributed more than $91 million to Republican members and candidates, according to figures shared with Axios.
