Democrats target House majority in 2026 midterms with affordability focus
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SPECIAL: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee The (DCCC) chairman said Democrats will continue to focus squarely on affordability as they aim to “take back those gavels” by capturing the House majority in next year’s midterm elections.
House Democrats need to flip just three GOP-held seats in 2026 to regain control of the chamber for the first time in four years.
“We will hold Republicans accountable for their policies that harm American families,” Washington State Rep. Suzan DelBene, who chairs the DCCC for the second consecutive year, said in an exclusive interview with the national news network’s Fox News Digital.
High prices and the out-of-control cost of living were the key issues supporting President Donald Trump and Republicans in the 2024 elections as they regained the White House and the Senate majority and retained control of the House of Representatives.
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President Donald Trump holds a chart while discussing the economy in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Aug. 7, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)
But what a difference a year makes.
Democrats, who generally focus on affordability, have achieved great success at the polls while also performing well at the polls. 2025 elections earlier this month. Democrats notched double-digit gubernatorial victories in the blue-leaning but competitive New Jersey and Virginia, the battlegrounds of Georgia and Pennsylvania, and convincing victories in left-leaning high-profile matchups in New York City and California.
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“As people were talking about the biggest issues impacting their communities and affordability right now, with costs rising as a result of the policies that this administration and Republicans in Congress have implemented, it was clear that people were rejecting that,” DelBene said, pointing to the 2025 election results. he said.
“We’ve certainly seen this in gubernatorial races like Virginia and New Jersey, but [also] in races around the country,” he added.
Fox News’ national poll released this week was another warning sign for Trump and the GOP.
Three-quarters of voters surveyed viewed economy Many respondents, including Republicans, said the costs of food, utilities, health care and housing have increased this year.
The poll showed that when asked who is responsible for the current economy, voters blame the president and point to Trump nearly twice as often as former President Joe Biden.
Only 38 percent of those surveyed gave the president a positive response to how he manages the economy. And Trump’s overall approval rating in a Fox News poll was 41%, the lowest of his second term in office.
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“Family affordability is still the number one issue. Housing, food, health care, child care, energy costs are all rising as a direct result of the policies that Republicans have put in place by Congress and Donald Trump. And they’ve promised to cut costs from day one,” DelBene said. he said.
Pointing to last year’s election, he said, “That was their big message. They were going to cut costs. That was a big promise that was broken, and people are feeling that, and it has had a big impact and will continue. People want people who will stand up for them on their behalf, not just be blindly loyal to the President.”
GOP Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chairman of the rival National Republican Congressional Committee, took aim at the former president, telling Fox News Digital: “There are challenges with the economy because Biden broke the economy, and House Republicans working with President Trump are going to fix it, and we’re working hard to do that.”
“Of course, we can always improve how we communicate with our voters on this issue,” he added. “But we’re focused on the issues that are important to them. You know, that affordability, the safety in their neighborhood, a secure border. We’re very focused on that and providing a lot of things that will make their lives better.”
Looking ahead to next year, he added: “When tax season comes around, a lot of families are going to be really happy to see they’re getting a lot more pay, and that’s because of Donald Trump and House Republicans.”
In their messaging, the DCCC linked vulnerable House Republicans to Trump.
DelBene argued that “Republican policies are harming American families, the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump are increasing costs for families across the country, and their continued work to undermine health care across the country.”
And “the policies they prioritize favor the wealthy and well-connected, give tax breaks to the wealthy and well-connected, but hurt working families across the country. People feel that, and we will continue to call it out.”
In its message, the NRCC aims to associate Democrats facing tough House reelections with social New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, as it aims to portray all Democrats as far-left radicals.
Zohran Mamdani speaks during his victory speech at the mayoral election night vigil party on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City. (Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)
“The entire Democratic Party has moved to the left. This is Mamdani’s party now,” Hudson said. he accused. “And each House Democrat needs to respond to their own policies and let their constituents know whether they stand with Mamdani?”
But DelBene fired back, charging, “Republicans don’t have a message, so they’re trying to come up with something.”
Ignoring the GOP’s messaging, he said: “People in Iowa and Arizona aren’t focusing on who the mayor of New York is. They’re focusing on who’s going to run for office, who’s going to defend them.”
DelBene was interviewed as three new national polls show Democrats with the upper hand in the 2026 fight for the House majority.
“We don’t take anything for granted,” DelBene cautioned.
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But he was confident Democrats would “take back the house in 2026.”
“Our number one goal is to make sure we get those gavels back. Make sure Speaker Hakeem Jeffries has a congress, a House of Representatives, that will work for the American people and do its job to control this administration,” DelBene emphasized.
