Republicans Positioned to Keep House Majority in 2026, Targets Democrats as ‘Socialists’ in New Ad

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) says the GOP is in a strong position to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives heading into the 2026 midterm elections, pointin…

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The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) says the GOP is in a strong position to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives heading into the 2026 midterm elections, pointing to a favorable political climate and low approval ratings for Democrats.

The House GOP’s campaign arm released a new 60-second video this week, first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, signaling the party’s strategy to frame Democrats as radical and out of touch.

The ad accuses Democrats of embracing socialism, pushing for open borders, and supporting efforts to defund law enforcement.

“Unhinged Democrats want to destroy America,” the narrator says in the ad.

“In one year, we stop them.”

The NRCC argues that 2026 could break from historical patterns, as midterm elections typically favor the party not in power.

Party strategists say this cycle will differ because of what they describe as Democrats’ “historic unpopularity” and the improved political environment for Republicans compared to President Donald Trump’s first term.

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Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the House, but Democrats face an uphill battle in trying to retake control.

According to recent polling, voters only slightly prefer Democrats in a generic congressional ballot, and the party’s overall favorability remains near record lows.

A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos survey released Sunday found Democrats leading Republicans by just two points among 2,725 respondents.

By comparison, Democrats led by 11 points at the same stage before the 2018 midterms — when they went on to flip 41 seats and regain the House majority.

As of this week, RealClearPolitics’ polling average shows Democrats with a 3.4-point advantage nationwide.

However, a Wall Street Journal survey found that 63 percent of Americans now hold an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party — one of the highest negative ratings recorded.

Only 33 percent of respondents said they view the party favorably.

The Washington Post survey also found that nearly seven in ten Americans believe Democrats are “out of touch,” a higher share than those who said the same about Republicans or President Trump.

That figure has remained unchanged since April.

Republicans also perform competitively when voters are asked which party is better equipped to handle the country’s most pressing issues.

A Gallup poll published in October found Democrats leading Republicans by just two points on that measure.

The NRCC’s ad rollout comes as the committee reports a significant fundraising advantage over its Democratic counterpart.

Between January and September, the NRCC raised $720,000 more than the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). By comparison, Democrats led Republicans by roughly $9 million at the same point in 2017.

According to NRCC officials, this is the first time since 2015 that the committee has outraised Democrats during the first three quarters of an election cycle.

Republicans went on to win full control of Congress the following year.

“House Republicans are lapping Democrats at every turn,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement.

“Voters across the country are fired up to build on this momentum and leave Democrats in the dust.”

The NRCC video also attempts to tie Democratic candidates across the country to Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor and a self-described socialist.

Mamdani appears three times in the ad as part of an effort to frame him as symbolic of the Democratic Party’s leftward shift.

Last week, the NRCC distributed a memo asserting that Mamdani’s candidacy would damage vulnerable House Democrats in swing districts.

The memo described him as the “face of the Democratic Party,” a label Republicans plan to repeat throughout the campaign cycle.

Republicans are also expected to benefit from mid-decade redistricting efforts in several key states, including Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio — all of which have seen GOP-led legislatures advance maps expected to favor Republican candidates.

Party officials say additional support from the Republican National Committee and President Trump’s political operation — both of which have amassed large fundraising reserves — could further strengthen their position heading into November 2026.