House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is confident Democrats will regain control of the House in the 2026 midterms, even as the party continues to battle over the government shutdown.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Jeffries told Kristen Welker that Tuesday’s election results were “decisive.”
“Democrats are definitely going to take back control of the House of Representatives, and we’re going to stay focused on the issues that matter: lowering the high cost of living, fixing our broken health care system and cleaning up corruption to actually deliver a country that works for working class Americans, for everyday Americans and for middle class Americans,” Jeffries said.
The New York Democrat had slightly less confidence about his party’s chances to regain control of the Senate, instead saying there is a “strong and viable” pathway to Democratic control in the upper chamber.
“The American people have had enough and they want a government that actually puts them first as opposed to what Republicans have been doing, prioritizing the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected,” Jeffries said.
Democrats won most of the critical races on Tuesday, including gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey and New York’s mayoral race, as well as the vote on California’s redistricting amendment.
Jeffries credited New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s win, in part, to a platform centered on affordability — something he said Democrats around the nation are working on.
“This is the wealthiest country in the history of the world,” Jeffries said. “It’s unacceptable that far too many people are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck.”
Still, the party will have its work cut out for it, particularly as some high profile Democrats announce retirement. Democrats now control 213 seats of 435, with one Democrat waiting to be sworn in (Arizona’s Adelita Grijalva). There is also a vacant seat in Texas for which two Democrats are competing in a runoff.
Democrats in the Senate have, when counting two independents who caucus with them, 47 of 100 seats.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced her retirement just after Tuesday’s elections. Jeffries on Sunday commended the former speaker as a “legendary, heroic, historic, transformational figure.”
Meanwhile, concerns over the cost of living are only rising as the government shutdown continues. But Jeffries said he is hopeful the shutdown will end before the Thanksgiving holiday — so long as Democrats and Republicans are able to negotiate.
For weeks, the two parties have struggled to come to a consensus, with Democratic leaders arguing GOP leadership and President Donald Trump have refused to negotiate. Still, Jeffries said, his caucus will continue to have a presence on Capitol Hill even as Speaker Mike Johnson keeps the House out of session.
“We’ll be in Washington as House Democrats ready, willing and able to reopen the government to make life better for the American people and to address the health care crisis that has been devastating the country,” Jeffries said.
