House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries kicks off 100 days till midterms
with affordability agenda
[July 27, 2026]
By MIKE CATALINI
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — The stage is in battleground Pennsylvania. The
stakes are control of the House.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday unveiled the party's
Fighting for an Affordable America agenda, as he kicked off 100 days
until the midterm elections and works to focus voter attention ahead of
November.
In Pennsylvania's 7th District, tucked in the Lehigh Valley, Jeffries
and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 Democratic
presidential candidate, rallied support at a steelworkers' union hall
for Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter trying to unseat the incumbent
Republican congressman as Democrats reach for the House majority.
Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Democrats were focused on restoring healthcare
cuts, bringing the cost of living down and ending the war in Iran to
beat Republicans and hold President Donald Trump accountable. The united
front on Sunday comes as Democrats have fought among themselves in
primaries across the country this year.
“When you put us back in charge of the United States House of
Representatives, you’ll get a Congress that speaks up for everyday
Americans and a Congress that stands up to an out-of-control president,”
he said.
Down the road, Brooks’ rival, freshman GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, is
launching his own 100-day-out event.
It's a symbolic start to a campaign season that's been well underway for
much of a tumultuous year that's included partisan redistricting
battles, contentious primaries in both parties and weighty Supreme Court
rulings on campaign finance.
Midterm elections are often a referendum on the president
Midterm elections are often a referendum on the party in power, and the
contests are set against the second term of Trump, whose military action
against Iran and economic policies backed by the Republican majority in
Congress are reshaping the political landscape.
“We gotta win the midterms,” Trump said during a visit last month to a
Mack Truck plant in the district, where he promoted Mackenzie's
candidacy.
Trump has made a number of visits to competitive states as GOP
candidates rely on the power of the presidency to propel their
campaigns. Last week he was in Georgia, a key state with a marquee
Senate race, and he has a trip to battleground Michigan coming up.
While the president voices support for rank-and-file Republicans during
his rallies, he also devotes much of his time on stage to a wide range
of issues, including the U.S.-Mexico border, opposing transgender rights
and criticizing judges.
Republicans are hoping the president's signature legislation, the One
Big Beautiful Bill Act of tax breaks and spending cuts, along with a
measure the House passed recently aiming to limit lawmaker stock
trading, will buoy them with voters.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during Democratic
congressional candidate Bob Brooks' campaign event ahead of the
midterm elections at a Steelworkers Union Hall in Bethlehem, Pa.,
Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Erin Blewett)
But they are up against a historical trend that sees the president's
party lose seats in midterm elections and are confronting the
unpopularity of the war with Iran.
Democrats are aiming to seize on voter disapproval of the war and
refocus attention back to kitchen table issues like higher costs and
gas prices to propel them to wins in the narrowly divided House.
A few seats will determine control of the House
Even though 435 House seats are being contested this fall, control
of the House is often determined by just a handful of competitive
districts. Fewer than 20 seats are among the most watched, what
analysts call genuine toss-ups.
Pennsylvania's 7th District is a key battleground along with
contests elsewhere in the state, reflecting significant political
weight not just as a presidential swing state but as the pathway to
a House majority. Democrats are also targeting House contests in
Pennsylvania's 1st, 8th and 10th districts — all seats controlled by
Republicans.
Shapiro, who is seeking a second term this year as well, has
supported Democratic candidates in the contested seats, wagering
some of his own political capital. He acknowledged the state's
centrality to winning the House, while alluding to its central role
in presidential elections as well.
“We are, of course, the swingiest swing state,” he said.
He added: “We will do our part to carry forward the goodness and the
decency that defines Pennsylvania and put an end to the chaos and
cruelty and the corruption that exists in Washington.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is preparing to embark on his own
cross-country trip to fundraise for the GOP and stump for Republican
candidates as he works to retain his majority.
Republicans have a cash edge over Democrats in the race for House
control. A question hovering over the election is how the Supreme
Court's June ruling affecting campaign finance could play out, with
national parties now able to make direct contributions to candidate
campaigns.
___
Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
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