Jeffries says House Democrats reaching to flip Trump districts in attempt to repeat their 2018 sweep

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday his party is on track to win back control of the House, confident it can overcome a fundraising disadvantage and reach deep into conservative areas to flip congressional districts won by President Donald Trump just two years ago.

In a conference call with reporters, Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if Democrats seize the majority, compared this midterm election to 2018, when Democrats swept to power during Trump's first term in the White House.

“House Democrats are poised to take back the majority,” he said.

Jeffries, who is from New York, said that when Democrats took control of the House in 2018, most of the seats they flipped were in districts where Trump won in 2016.

“In 2026, we're poised to do the same thing,” he said.

His comments were the latest display of confidence from Democrats with a month to go until the midterm elections on Nov. 3. The party is working to expand the map by going on offense in Republican-held districts, while Trump hits the trail in a red-state sprint to boost voter enthusiasm and shore up support from his base.

Republicans have a sizable cash advantage as House Speaker Mike Johnson steers the party closer to Trump to try to keep the majority. Trump is promising voters $5,000 cash dividends if the Republicans win, though it's not at all certain that Congress would unleash the estimated $1 trillion-plus for such an outlay. Over the weekend, Trump announced $90 payments to seniors to help pay Medicare premiums.

Jeffries said Republicans are “failing and flailing."

“The American people are not buying what MAGA Republicans are trying to sell,” he said.

With the House narrowly split, just a few seats could determine which party holds the gavel. Early voting is underway. Republicans are under pressure because of high gas prices stemming from the war with Iran.

Jeffries said a Trump-led redistricting effort to draw more favorable Republican districts in Texas, Florida and other states backfired in some places. At the same time, the House Democrats’ campaign arm announced late last week it was adding eight districts to its map of districts in play, including those in Kansas, Oklahoma, Virginia and Washington state.

“The Republican gerrymander scheme has failed,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries cautioned, however, that “anything and everything” is possible, and urged Democrats to remain focused. “We can’t afford to take anything for granted,” he said.

Johnson, the Republican speaker, has been crisscrossing the country and insisted Republicans will be able to protect their majority. He stumped for Republicans in California last week and he is scheduled to be in more than 40 districts across some 20 states in the final weeks before November.

Jeffries, who was also in Western states over the weekend, said he too will be traveling in the weeks ahead.