The 119th Congress was simply sworn in—and Democrats are already plotting the best way to take the gavel again from Speaker Mike Johnson and his noxious Republican convention.
Home Majority PAC, an excellent PAC that seeks to elect Democrats to the Home, introduced its high 29 targets for the 2026 midterms, in addition to one other 16 attain seats that could possibly be in play in the fitting political setting.
The group—which touted its 2024 monitor document of serving to Democrats web a seat within the Home even if Donald Trump received the favored vote nationwide—stated it can start by recruiting and vetting sturdy candidates in goal districts.
“Headed into the midterms with classes realized from 2024, HMP is in the present day launching a 2026 Recruitment Fund—which can enable us to recruit and put together potential candidates sooner than ever,” the group stated in a information launch. “With Republicans like [New York Rep.] Mike Lawler, [Arizona Rep.] Juan Ciscomani, [Michigan Rep.] John James, and probably others doubtless leaving their seats, we should guarantee Democratic campaigns are arrange for fulfillment—and that comes by means of conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis to develop particular messaging and methods for particular person races.”
A number of of the districts Home Majority PAC is working to area sturdy recruits for embrace:
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Colorado’s eighth District, the place Democrats misplaced to Rep.-elect Gabe Evans by lower than 1 level.
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Iowa’s 1st District, the place GOP Rep. Marionette Miller Meeks received by simply 799 votes.
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Pennsylvania’s seventh District, the place Democrats misplaced to Rep.-elect Ryan Mackenzie by 1 level.
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Pennsylvania’s eighth District, the place Democrats misplaced to Rep.-elect Robert Bresnahan by lower than 2 factors.
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Pennsylvania’s tenth District, the place Republican Rep. Scott Perry received by simply 1.3 factors.
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Nebraska’s 2nd District, the place GOP Rep. Don Bacon was capable of maintain on by lower than 2 factors, whilst Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district.
On paper, the 2026 midterms ought to be a great yr for Home Democrats.
They should flip simply three seats in an effort to win again management of the Home—one thing they got here painfully near doing in 2024. Democrats fell quick this yr within the three districts that decided the bulk by a mixed whole of simply 7,309 votes.
And on condition that the celebration within the White Home virtually all the time loses seats within the first midterm election, that places Democrats in prime place to oust Johnson from the speaker’s workplace.
Democrats could have the added benefit in 2026 of with the ability to run in opposition to what is certain to be Republican dysfunction in Congress, because the GOP will battle to go its agenda with a traditionally small majority and fractious caucus of members who like to vote in opposition to laws and refuse to make the compromises essential to go payments.
For at the very least the primary few months of 2025, the GOP majority shall be simply one seat, till particular elections could be held to fill vacancies created by Trump nominating Home lawmakers to serve in his administration. Meaning Johnson can’t lose a single vote if each member exhibits up, as it could lead to a 216-216 tie and a vote would fail.
That may make primary duties—reminiscent of funding the federal government—a tightrope act for Johnson, as Republicans like to vote in opposition to spending offers and sometimes should depend on Democratic votes to maintain the federal government’s lights on.
In 2018, the primary midterm of Trump’s first flip within the White Home, Democrats ran on the Republican chaos and gained 40 seats to win the bulk—way over the 23 the celebration wanted to win the gavel.
In the meantime, what Trump and the Republican majorities in Congress are promising to realize is unlikely to be standard with the voters.
Republicans are already speaking about reducing Social Safety and Medicare—the third rail of politics—whereas on the identical time slashing taxes for the wealthiest People. Polling exhibits that voters truly need the federal government to boost taxes on the rich.
In the meantime Trump is pushing for tariffs that may enhance prices for shoppers and damage the economic system, precisely the reverse of what People supposedly voted for in November.
Democrats are already drawing consideration to the GOP’s harmful agenda.
“It has turn out to be more and more obvious that lots of my Home Republican colleagues need to jam large tax cuts for the rich, the well-off and the well-connected down the throats of the American individuals and attempt to pay for these tax cuts, which is not going to profit on a regular basis People, by reducing Social Safety and Medicare,” Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries stated at a Dec. 11 information convention on Capitol Hill.
“This isn’t a hypothetical. It is not hype. It is not hyperbole. It is taking place earlier than our very eyes as a result of excessive MAGA Republicans within the Home are telling us, publicly and repeatedly, that is precisely what they plan to do to the American individuals,” Jeffries warned. “Home Democrats are clear we’ll oppose any effort to finish Social Safety and Medicare as we all know it.”
Count on to listen to that message rather a lot over the following two years.
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