Democrats have taken back the House. Democrats will win control of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to projections from CNN and Decision Desk HQ on election night, ending Republican control of the chamber and setting up a two-year showdown with President Donald Trump.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn is now in line to become the first Black speaker in the chamber’s history. The 56-year-old, who has led House Democrats since January 2023, would replace Republican Speaker Mike Johnson when the new Congress convenes in January.
He still has to win a formal vote of the full House, but as leader of the incoming majority, he’s the clear favorite. Jeffries also cruised to reelection in New York’s 8th District, winning about 79% of the vote according to unofficial results.
The new majority gives Democrats a real check on the Trump administration for the final two years of his term. Throughout the campaign, Jeffries made affordability his central message. “We’re going to relentlessly focus on our affordability agenda,” he said.
In an October interview with MS NOW, Jeffries laid out the priorities Democrats plan to pursue: reversing Republican Medicaid cuts, extending expired Affordable Care Act tax credits, challenging Trump’s tariffs and pushing to end the U.S. war in Iran. To shape that agenda, he created five working groups, focused on health care, housing, groceries and other goods, gas and utilities, and caregiving. Each is co-led by a progressive and a moderate Democrat, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Terri Sewell, who co-chair the health care group.
Oversight will be a major focus too. House Democrats are preparing investigations into allegations of corruption involving Trump, his family and administration officials, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin on the Judiciary Committee and Rep. Robert Garcia on the Oversight Committee. Asked about where those investigations might lead, Jeffries said Democrats would “let the chips fall where they may.”
With control of the House, Democrats now hold the power to set the legislative agenda, issue subpoenas and block Republican priorities, transforming the balance of power in Washington heading into the 2028 presidential cycle.
