House Democrats project midterm optimism following State of the Union

As they gathered in northern Virginia on Wednesday for their annual policy retreat, House Democrats rallied like they were on the brink of victory.

“House Democrats are on the verge of a takeover. The break’s over for these MAGA extremists,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said at the leadership press conference kicking off the retreat. “It’s over because people know that Donald Trump and House Republicans have failed the American people.”

Jeffries and his Democratic colleagues have toiled this Congress as House Republicans hold a razor-thin majority. They see a path back to power by focusing on affordability and the economy in this year’s midterm elections, pointing to topics they say Trump has largely neglected.

Much of the three-day policy retreat is focused on cost-of-living issues. Guests include labor union leaders, representatives from the Black Economic Alliance and the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a former member of the House who delivered the Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s Tuesday night State of the Union.

Democrats will use the time together away from the Capitol to hone their messages to voters and to coalesce around what they think are the themes that will resonate with ordinary Americans.

“Is the president working for you?” Spanberger asked in her speech, which made the case that Trump’s policies were hurting average Americans.

“This is the defining contrast of the midterms. While Republicans broke their promise to lower costs, Democrats are focused on lowering costs for hardworking families just trying to get by,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the person responsible for leading her party to taking control of the House.

But victory is far from assured. Trump and Republicans are making their own aggressive pitch on affordability. They also have a cash advantage this cycle. 

And they have rolled out a series of election proposals — like voter-identification requirements and changes to mail voting — that Democrats say could disenfranchise millions. Coupled with the Supreme Court’s pending decision on a challenge to a section of the Voting Rights Act that, if upheld, could eliminate some Democratic-held districts, Republicans are not out of contention come November.

Still, there is cause for Democratic optimism. Recent polling shows many Americans are souring on Trump — a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found 60% disapprove of the president. And Democrats have maintained a healthy lead in the generic ballot. Also, they need to net just three seats to flip the House.

“President Trump wants to take over elections. He’s going to continue to tweet out and put out executive orders. He and republican governors could do other untoward things to affect our elections,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said. 

“What we can control is communicating a message that will resonate to people. And that’s what we’re focused on,” Aguilar said.