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Outgoing Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she believes Democrats will regain control of the House in next November’s midterm elections. In an interview with Jonathan Karl that aired Sunday on ABC News’ This Week, the former House speaker and longtime Democratic leader said she views a Democratic takeover as a question of timing rather than possibility.
“So if the Democrats win the House back,” Karl said. “No, no, when,” Pelosi interjected. “When the Democrats win the House back.”
She went on to back her successor, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, to become Speaker of the House. “Hakeem Jeffries is ready, he’s eloquent, he’s respected by the members, he is a unifier,” she claimed.
Democrats need to flip three seats in order to retake control of the chamber, The Hill reported.
According to the latest forecast from the Cook Political Report, 17 House races are currently rated as “toss-ups” heading into next fall’s elections, with Republicans holding 12 of those seats.
Overall, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting 40 districts it views as potential pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterms.
Democrats have expressed growing optimism about their midterm prospects following a series of off-year election victories last month in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City, where candidates campaigned on pledges to reduce the cost of living.
Inflation currently stands at 2.7 percent, down from about 3 percent at the beginning of the year but still above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target. At the same time, President Trump has faced ongoing economic concerns from voters, including some within his own political base, factors Democrats say could shape the 2026 electoral landscape.
That said, Trump’s approval rating is beginning to tick upward again, and his chief of staff, Suzie Wiles, revealed last week that he will likely be hitting the campaign trail on behalf of GOP candidates in order to juice voter turnout.
Also, prices for many common items purchased by consumers are beginning to fall, none more dramatically that gasoline and eggs. With energy prices falling overall, that normally leads to lower food, electricity, and housing costs – which would bode well for the president and his party heading into the elections.
What’s more, Trump has floated the idea of the GOP having an early-fall convention, which he believes will give him and the GOP a chance to showcase Republican accomplishments and energize the base to get out and vote. Democrats have since suggested they, too, are considering a convention.
Democrats also have a huge popularity deficit. While the party’s overall approval rating has been tanking since last year’s presidential election, new data indicates it’s even worse now.
CNN’s chief data analyst said last week the Democratic Party’s approval rating has fallen to historic lows, with pollsters finding congressional Democrats in their worst position on record. Speaking on CNN, Harry Enten said the party’s approval rating is “lower than the Dead Sea” based on recent polling data.
Enten cited results from a Quinnipiac University national poll showing deep dissatisfaction with Democrats in Congress among voters, Newsweek reported. According to the poll, Democrats in Congress have a net approval rating of minus 55 percentage points overall.
Among independent voters, the net approval rating falls even further to minus 61 percentage points.
Quinnipiac University has “never found Democrats, at least those in Congress, in worse shape than they are right now,” Enten said.
Enten noted that independent voters are driving much of the decline but said Democratic voters themselves have also turned sharply more negative. Among Democrats, the party’s approval rating stands at minus 6 percentage points.
That marks a 28 point decline from October, when Democratic approval among party members was plus 22 points.
The polling comes as Democrats look ahead to the 2026 midterm elections, where control of Congress is at stake. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives, with a 219 to 214 edge. The GOP also controls the Senate with a 53 to 47 majority.
