House Republicans believe they have "clear momentum" heading into the 2026 midterms, according to reports.
The GOP's optimism has been fueled by Democrat disunity, donor fatigue, and strong alignment with President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda, according to a new memo obtained by the New York Post.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said in its "one year out" assessment that the political landscape favors the GOP far more than it did at this point before the Democrats' 2018 "blue wave."
The memo claims Democrats now face "their weakest brand in decades," citing a Pew Research poll showing 67% of Democrats are frustrated with their party. That's a sharp increase from previous years.
"Voters define [Democrats] as higher taxes, weak leadership, a soft-on-crime stance, open borders, and wokeness," the memo said. "They are the party of elite interests, out of touch with the working class."
That theme of populist contrast, portraying Democrats as the party of the privileged and Republicans as the party of working Americans, is expected to anchor GOP messaging heading into 2026.
The NRCC's optimism also stems from its fundraising edge and organizational strength.
Republicans have outraised their Democrat counterparts for the first three quarters of 2025, pulling in about $723,000 more than the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
The GOP campaign arm says it has raised $20 million more than at the same point in 2017 and holds $7.5 million more in cash on hand.
"Republican campaigns are building war chests, and Democrats are falling behind," the memo said, noting that its most vulnerable incumbents have outraised their Democrat counterparts.
Meanwhile, ABC News reported that Trump and the White House are heavily engaged in the midterm planning effort, determined to avoid the kind of messy primaries that divided the GOP during his first term.
"We're very involved in making sure we have the right candidates next year," a senior Republican official told ABC. "We're going to remind voters you need to get out and vote to give the president a full four years."
Republicans are also mobilizing Trump's base, the coalition that delivered sweeping victories in 2024, through a coordinated "midterm convention" planned ahead of next November.
Vice President JD Vance and Trump allies have already been brainstorming key battlegrounds, urging voters to "fight for the working class, not the Washington class."
Democrats, by contrast, are struggling with internal fractures, according to Axios, which reported that two-thirds of Democrats are dissatisfied with their party's direction.
Only 16% of Americans say they are proud of the Democratic Party compared to roughly a quarter who say the same of Republicans.
In the NRCC memo, Republicans argue that if they maintain their fundraising momentum, unify behind Trump's policies, and continue drawing contrasts between "Republican deliverance and Democratic chaos," they will be positioned to expand their House majority next year.
"The wind is at our backs," one NRCC strategist told the Post. "Democrats are divided, their donors are demoralized, and their message has lost touch with reality."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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