Democrats 2026 midterms push leans on affordability, DelBene says
DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene told CNBC Democrats have momentum 100 days before the midterms, as polls show an edge on the House ballot.
By Amanda Ross · Deals Correspondent
· 3 min read
Democrats 2026 midterms strategy is coalescing around living costs, with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene telling CNBC that her party is positioned to retake the House 100 days before Election Day. The contest is unfolding as President Donald Trump faces low approval ratings, inflation remains elevated and the Iran war has helped push gasoline prices above $4 a gallon, according to GasBuddy data cited by CNBC.
DelBene, a Washington Democrat, said in a CNBC interview that Democrats have the candidates, message and political momentum needed to compete for the House. She argued that voters want representatives focused on their economic pressures and said Republicans have aligned themselves too closely with Trump.
Republicans have narrowly held the House for the past two years. Democrats’ prospects for gaining the Senate are weaker, according to CNBC, making the House the central battleground for control of Congress.
Can Democrats win the House in the 2026 midterms?
Several public indicators show Democrats with an advantage, though not an uncontested one. A Fox News poll put Democrats seven percentage points ahead of Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, and Emerson College Polling showed an 11-point Democratic lead. CNBC’s All America Economic Survey, conducted earlier this month, found voters slightly preferred Democrats to control Congress after November.
A generic ballot asks voters which party they would support for Congress rather than naming individual candidates. It can signal the national mood, but House control is decided district by district, which means candidate quality, turnout and district boundaries can alter the outcome.
DelBene said affordability is the dominant issue she hears from voters. She cited housing, food, health care, childcare, energy and gasoline as pressures on household budgets, saying families focused on daily expenses have little room to think about other matters.
The National Republican Congressional Committee did not make its chair, Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, available for a CNBC interview. NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said Republicans have “a more favorable map, stronger candidates, a deep fundraising advantage, and a winning message,” and accused Democrats of a turn toward socialism and internal division.
What risks are Democrats facing?
Democrats face several constraints despite favorable polling. CNBC cited Cook Political Report analysis showing Democrats slightly favored to win the House, but the party is also dealing with low favorability ratings, a fundraising deficit against the NRCC and disputes over primary endorsements.
The DCCC, House Democrats’ campaign arm, has faced criticism from some Democrats for intervening in contested primaries. In Arizona’s 1st congressional district, doctor and former state representative Amish Shah defeated Marlene Galán-Wood, the DCCC-backed candidate, in a Democratic primary for a highly competitive seat, according to Roll Call reporting cited by CNBC.
Some Democrats have urged the committee to avoid primaries or revise its endorsement process, according to Notus. DelBene defended the committee’s approach, saying there are differing views inside the party and that its objective is to win competitive districts nationwide.
The party is also managing ideological tensions as candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America have defeated incumbent Democrats in states including New York and California, according to CNBC. DelBene framed ideological range as an asset, saying candidates in swing districts differ from one another and should fit their communities.
Redistricting remains another variable. CNBC reported that newly drawn districts in several states could help Republicans gain seats, but DelBene argued that Republican mid-decade map changes in states such as Texas and Florida may motivate voters who oppose the process.
RealClearPolling data cited by CNBC showed Democrats were viewed as unfavorably as Republicans through June. That leaves both parties competing for an electorate unsettled by economic pressure and political dissatisfaction, with control of the House likely to turn on a small number of competitive districts.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
