Democrats are favored by various polls to win back the House of Representatives at the November 2026 midterm election. Election polls such as the Emerson College Polling Center give generic Democrats a double digit advantage. Like all elections however, they must take precautions to prevent the snatching of defeat from the jaws of victory.
One example, is the race for the 12th congressional district in New Jersey to replace the retiring congresswoman Bonnie Watson -Coleman.
While Democrats are not in danger of losing the seat, given its overwhelming democratic makeup, the Democratic nominee will most certainly be portrayed as a radical extremist by the Republican Party. Adam Hamawy, who won the Democratic primary, will face Republican Gregg Mele who is running in his 7th race. He has run as an independent and Libertarian before running this time as a Republican.
In 1995, Hamawy testified on behalf of Omar Abdel-Rahman. Rahman was ultimately convicted on terrorism and seditious conspiracy charges.
While his Democratic opponents stayed away from the issue during the primary, the Democratic Mayor of Plainfield Adrian Mapp, during an interview for Insider News Jersey said “you can’t describe Adam Hamawy as a progressive he is what you would call a radical extremist.”
Democrats believe they have a chance to take back the US Senate if they could defeat Maine Senator Susan Collins. The Democratic candidate for senate Graham Platner had dropped out of the race due to allegations of rape. While the new Democratic nominee Troy Jackson is currently leading in the polls, Collins has a advantage in fundraising.
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have had impressive victories but their propensity to tear down party leaders may bring problems as well. Darializa Avila Chevalier, who beat the incumbent Adriano Espaillat in the primary, is running to represent the 13th congressional district of NYC. Through her social media she has described former president Barack Obama as “evil” and made expletive deleted comments about Kamala Harris. She has also criticized men involved in interracial relationships when she wrote on X “black men, Arab men fetishizing ugly, colonizer women.” While she has apologized for her remarks, it could raise issues for other Democratic candidates going forward.
Many DSA candidates have an affinity to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. His difficulty in appealing to older Black voters in the south during the 2016 democratic primary season, played a role in his inability to win the presidential nomination. Sanders was booed by many Black women during the 2019, She the People Presidential Forum, at the University of Houston Texas, when he was asked what would he do for Black women. His answer that he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King was seen by many as out of touch and condescending.
DSA has done well, but they remain a microcosm of the larger Democrat party.
The victories in New York may not be a model for the rest of the nation. In the south, older Black voters are the most loyal but tend to be more moderate. It remains to be seen how DSA candidates will perform in that environment.
Nonetheless, the idea and utility of socialism has been around for a long time. Eugene Debs ran as a socialist for president from prison and received almost one million votes. Republican Fiorella LaGuardia ran as a socialist to get re-elected to the House of Representatives. Public opinion surveys have consistently found that while many Americans view the label ‘socialism’ negatively, individual policies often associated with democratic socialism—such as Social Security, Medicare, higher minimum wages, and infrastructure spending—frequently receive majority support.
While there are outliers, DSA’S stance on most issues are popular in America while the Republican Party, according to YouGov.com, has a disapproval rating of 55%.
Nonetheless, listening to DSA Co-chair Margie Rohmer on FOX News list an agenda which included abolish the presidency, the Supreme Court and borders may prove to be problematic especially for candidates who may find themselves having to distance themselves from such statements. They will have a difficult time if the general electorate sees the DSA candidates as extreme.
The United States is a capitalist nation with socialist policies as a mediating factor. Socialist policies have been part of the American political landscape.
John F. Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural address said “if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, they cannot save the few who are rich.” Hours after his address, Kennedy, through an executive order increased food distribution programs for people in poverty. In keeping with his comments, he also created USAID in 1961. When it comes to money, Republicans have an advantage. The GOP and their various super Pacs have 843 million dollars compared to Democratic coffers of 243 million dollars. When it comes to state parties, the Republican National Committee has 128 million dollars compared to the Democratic National Committee which is presently in the red. It has been reported that Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin had to use the DNC headquarters in Washington as collateral for a 15-million-dollar credit line. Where Democrat candidates do have the advantage is at the local level. Georgia Senator Jon Osoff has raised over 80 million dollars for his campaign. James Tallarico and Sherrod Brown have also raised huge sums for their campaigns. Democrats are favored to win in November but through their own stumbling and infighting it may not be as easy as they thought.
