DCCC’s DelBene says Dems have momentum

President Donald Trump’s approval ratings remain low, inflation has been elevated, and the Iran war is dragging on, sending gas prices back up over $4 per gallon with no immediate relief in sight.

Some of this may be bad news for the country, but for Democrats, eager to win back majorities in the House and the Senate, the sequence of events leading up to the 2026 midterm election could create opportunities. And according to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., the party is sitting pretty with 100 days to go until Election Day.

“We have great candidates. We have the momentum. We have the message,” DelBene said in an interview with CNBC. “And I think the thing that’s been really critical too is that the American people are with us. They want folks who are going to stand up for the issues they’re facing and support them. And Republicans don’t care. They are a rubber stamp for Donald Trump.”

Democrats have been laser-focused on cost-of-living concerns this election cycle, and DelBene said they’ll continue to hammer Trump and Republicans on his handling of the economy to win back the House, which Republicans have narrowly controlled for the last two years. Democrats’ chances of winning a Senate majority are slimmer.

A recent Fox News poll found Democrats up seven percentage points over Republicans on a generic ballot, while a survey from Emerson College Polling gave them an 11-percentage-point edge. CNBC’s All America Economic Survey, conducted earlier this month, found voters would slightly prefer Democrats to take win control of Congress this November. 

“Absolutely the number one issue across the country is affordability. Families are struggling with housing, food,  healthcare, childcare, energy costs, gas prices,” DelBene said. “It’s hard when you’re just trying to get by day-to-day to think about anything else.”

The National Republican Campaign Committee did not make its chair, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., available for an interview. Mike Marinella, an NRCC spokesperson, pushed back on Democratic midterm narratives.

“Republicans have a more favorable map, stronger candidates, a deep fundraising advantage, and a winning message that serves as a stark contrast to Democrats’ radical turn to socialism and messy infighting,” Marinella said.

While Democrats do appear to have a slight advantage to win the House this year, it hasn’t been all good news for the DCCC of late.

The party’s campaign arm has taken fire from within its ranks over its choice to get involved in contested primary elections in some parts of the country, where in some cases DCCC-backed candidates lost to more liberal challengers. 

Last week, Amish Shah, a doctor and former Arizona state representative, bested the DCCC-backed Marlene Galán-Wood in the Democratic primary in the state’s 1st congressional district, one of the most competitive seats this year and a potential key to either party winning a majority. 

Some Democrats in response have called for the DCCC to stay out of primaries, or to change its internal processes for endorsing candidates.

DelBene shrugged off the criticisms.

“We have folks who think we should, folks who think we shouldn’t,” DelBene said, of the debate around the DCCC’s intraparty interventions. “I think the key is the stakes are incredibly high this election, and our job is to make sure we win all across the country. And we’re going to win in these districts across the country too.”

Democrats must also contend with their surging progressive wing, propelled by the Democratic Socialists of America. DSA-backed candidates have toppled incumbent Democrats in states like New York and California, and many have an anti-establishment ethos that could cause headaches for party leaders if they do win back a House majority. 

DelBene, however, said the ideological diversity of the party’s candidates is a strength.

“I think if you look across the candidates that we have running in these swing districts across the country, they are all unique fits for their districts. We’ve got folks who’ve been supported by Bernie [Sanders], to the Blue Dogs,” she said, referencing a congressional caucus of moderate Democrats. “But the key is having the candidate who is authentic, independent minded and focused on the needs of their community.”

Democrats also lag the NRCC in fundraising and are battling persistently low approval ratings. According to the poll aggregator RealClearPolling, Democrats were viewed equally as unfavorably as their Republican colleagues through June of this year.

And they must contend with newly drawn congressional districts throughout the country where Republicans look to net more than a handful of seats.

But with Trump’s approval on the rocks and Republicans seeking to retain control amid economic uncertainty for many voters, Democrats are bullish that some of the GOP-drawn seats in states like Florida and Texas actually provide more pickup opportunities.

“They’ve decided that the only way they’re going to stay in power is to rig the system,” DelBene said of Republican mid-decade redistricting efforts.

“People hate it. it’s actually motivating a lot of voters in places like Texas and Florida and across the country because it has nothing to do with the challenges that they’re facing,” she said. “They see that Republicans are trying to pick their voters versus letting voters pick their representatives.”