Nancy Pelosi predicts Democrats will retake House in 2026, backs Hakeem Jeffries as next Speaker

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has voiced strong confidence that Democrats will retake control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, predicting a revival under House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Speaking to ABC News’s This Week, Pelosi said she had “no doubt” that Jeffries would assume the Speaker’s role if Democrats secure a majority. She described the New York congressman as “ready”, respected across the party, articulate and capable of uniting Democrats after years in the minority.

Backing Jeffries as speaker

Pelosi praised Jeffries as a leader prepared to guide the party back to power. “He’s eloquent, he’s respected by the members, he is a unifier,” she said, signalling full confidence in his leadership ahead of the elections midway through President Donald Trump’s second term.

Criticism of republican-led Congress

Pelosi sharply criticised the Republican-controlled Congress, accusing it of surrendering its constitutional authority to President Trump. She said lawmakers had stopped functioning as an independent legislative body and were instead acting at the president’s behest.

“Right now, Republicans in the Congress have abolished the Congress,” Pelosi said, adding that Democrats would restore the institution’s role once they regain the Speaker’s gavel. “That ends as soon as we have the gavel.”

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Republican vulnerability ahead of midterms

Her confidence comes amid growing signs of strain within Republican ranks. Trump’s approval rating stands at 36 percent, with 60 percent disapproval, according to a November Gallup poll. Historically, the party in power has often suffered losses in midterm elections, adding to GOP anxieties.

Several senior Republicans have already announced they will not seek re-election in 2026, including Senators Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, Joni Ernst and Tommy Tuberville. In the House, more than two dozen Republican lawmakers have indicated they will step aside, fuelling speculation about the party’s prospects.

Pelosi’s final political goal

Pelosi, who will retire at the end of her current term in early 2027, said reclaiming the House for Democrats remains one of her final political objectives. The 85-year-old, who made history as the first woman to serve as Speaker, said she hopes to help steer American politics back towards principled governance.

“By and large, the American people are good people,” she said. “I want to take us back to a place where governance recognises that and gives people hope.”