House Minority Leader Says Democrats Can Win House in 2026 Midterms

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats can retake control of the House in the 2026 midterms despite recent redistricting setbacks. Jeffries compared the current political environment to 2018, when Democrats gained 40 seats during President Donald Trump's first term. He noted that Democrats flipped 24 seats to win the House that year.

The Supreme Court weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in the Louisiana v. Callais ruling. Virginia's Supreme Court also struck down a 10-1 congressional map that voters had approved in a special election. Jeffries said Democrats can still win the House even with these changes. He pointed to districts that President Donald Trump won in 2018 where Democrats later prevailed.

Outlook for 2026 and 2028 Jeffries said Democrats will redraw maps in at least seven states after 2026 to counter changes in southern states. He named New York, New Jersey, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Illinois, and Maryland. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Democrats can win three to four seats in Virginia.

She noted that two Republican-held districts are winnable and that a third or fourth could flip based on past election swings.