Democrats are expressing confidence about their prospects in the 2026 midterm election cycle, despite the party’s approval ratings plummeting to near-historic lows in 2025.
With the midterms fast approaching, Democrats are facing a slew of recent polls showing that a record number of Americans view the party unfavorably. Despite this, some Democrats repeatedly continue to show optimism about their odds of winning back the House of Representatives in the upcoming 2026 elections.
“House Republicans are delivering on our agenda to cut taxes, reduce the cost of living, reduce federal spending, secure our border, and restore peace through strength,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an exclusive statement. “Democrats have opposed every measure, and it is no surprise poll after poll reflect their disarray and unpopular ideology. As we continue keeping our promises to enact the America First agenda, we will defy history and grow our majority in 2026.”
A Wall Street Journal poll released July 25 found that the Democratic Party received the lowest favorability rating among voters in 35 years. Additionally, some Democrats have conceded that their party is trapped in a “nightmare scenario” following the GOP’s victories in the 2024 election cycle.
“The Democratic Party causes a collapse in voter approval, because the party bosses insist on pursuing an agenda of radicalism that cannot resonate with normal people,” Steve Cortes, a political strategist and founder of advocacy organization League of American Workers, told the DCNF. “After four years of Bidenomics and open borders, patriotic Americans yearn for personal prosperity plus national sovereignty — not pronouns and globalism.”
Cortes told the DCNF he thinks the Democratic Party will likely fail in its bid to retake the Senate in 2026, but said that Democrats may have better chances of winning back control of the House of Representatives.
“Here is the honest take: the Dems have almost zero shot at retaking the Senate,” Cortes said. “The map is too challenging for them, and they will likely lose at least one [Senate] seat, net — probably in Georgia where [Democratic Georgia Sen. Jon] Ossoff is far too radical for his state. On the House side, the scenario is very different.”
“History favors the Democrats, if they can control their leftist extremism,” Cortes added. “The best shot for the GOP in the House is redistricting aggressively in red states, right now.”
In April, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told the Washington Post he thinks Democrats will be able to win back the House “comfortably” in 2026. Similarly, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on July 25 that there is “no doubt” Democrats will regain control of the lower chamber of Congress next year.
Although a vast share of counties in the U.S. shifted to the right in last year’s presidential election, the party in power historically loses ground during midterm election cycles.
Some prominent Democrats have notably admitted they feel skeptical about their own party’s prospects of winning back the Senate in 2026, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Several Democrats have also recently criticized the Democratic Party for its “woke” national image and “wonky” policies ahead of the midterms.
“The Democrat Party’s core values are out-of-touch with everyday Americans and they refuse to change or listen to voters who rejected their destructive policies,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia told the DCNF in a statement. “Senate Democrats should get comfortable in the minority while Republicans continue delivering big wins for Americans with lower taxes, secure borders and safer communities.”
A report from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics released in May found that the majority of voters think the GOP will likely retain control of both chambers of Congress in next year’s midterms. Still, a CNN/SSRS poll released July 17 showed that 72% of Democrats and Democratic-aligned registered voters said they felt “extremely motivated” to vote in the 2026 midterms.
“Democrats say they’re confident, but voters couldn’t be clearer: they’re done with the out of touch positions, the chaos and the incompetence,” National Republican Congressional Committee Spokesman Mike Marinella told the DCNF in a statement. “The only thing Democrats are confident in is their own delusion.”
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