The 119th Congress was simply sworn in—and Democrats are already plotting easy methods 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 prime 29 targets for the 2026 midterms, in addition to one other 16 attain seats that might be in play in the best political surroundings.
The group—which touted its 2024 observe document of serving to Democrats web a seat within the Home even if Donald Trump received the favored vote nationwide—mentioned it’s going to start by recruiting and vetting robust candidates in goal districts.
“Headed into the midterms with lessons learned from 2024, HMP is today launching a 2026 Recruitment Fund—which will allow us to recruit and prepare potential candidates earlier than ever,” the group mentioned in a information launch. “With Republicans like [New York Rep.] Mike Lawler, [Arizona Rep.] Juan Ciscomani, [Michigan Rep.] John James, and potentially others likely leaving their seats, we must ensure Democratic campaigns are set up for success—and that comes through conducting qualitative and quantitative research to develop specific messaging and strategies for individual races.”
A number of of the districts Home Majority PAC is working to discipline robust recruits for embody:
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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 in a position to maintain on by lower than 2 factors, at the same time as 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 complete of simply 7,309 votes.
And on condition that the social gathering within the White Home nearly at all times loses seats within the first midterm election, that places Democrats in prime place to oust Johnson from the speaker’s workplace.
Democrats may have the added benefit in 2026 of having the ability to run in opposition to what is bound 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 least the primary few months of 2025, the GOP majority can be simply one seat, till particular elections may be held to fill vacancies created by Trump nominating Home lawmakers to serve in his administration. Meaning Johnson can not lose a single vote if each member reveals up, as it might end in a 216-216 tie and a vote would fail.
That can make fundamental duties—akin to funding the federal government—a tightrope act for Johnson, as Republicans like to vote in opposition to spending offers and infrequently 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—excess of the 23 the social gathering wanted to win the gavel.
In the meantime, what Trump and the Republican majorities in Congress are promising to attain is unlikely to be fashionable with the citizens.
Republicans are already speaking about chopping Social Safety and Medicare—the third rail of politics—whereas on the identical time slashing taxes for the wealthiest People. Polling reveals that voters really 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 financial 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 into more and more obvious that lots of my Home Republican colleagues wish to jam huge tax cuts for the rich, the well-off and the well-connected down the throats of the American folks and attempt to pay for these tax cuts, which is not going to profit on a regular basis People, by chopping Social Safety and Medicare,” Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries mentioned at a Dec. 11 information convention on Capitol Hill.
“This is not a hypothetical. It’s not hype. It’s not hyperbole. It’s happening before our very eyes because extreme MAGA Republicans in the House are telling us, publicly and repeatedly, that’s exactly what they plan to do to the American people,” 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 lots over the subsequent two years.
