Democratic leaders said the party expects at least 255 House seats and promises to make it affordable.
Published November 4, 2026
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated his party’s landslide victory in the U.S. midterm elections, calling the result an “American tsunami” after Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress.
“It wasn’t just a blue wave. It was an American tsunami,” Jeffries said at a news conference Wednesday, a day after Democrats thwarted upsets in several Republican strongholds.
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Jeffries said he expects Democrats to win at least 255 seats once all votes are finalized, giving the party what it describes as a historic majority.
“The American people chose common sense over corruption, chaos, and brutality.”
Jeffries, who will become the first black House speaker when the new Congress takes office in January, said the results show Americans want a change in direction.
He said he was “humbled by this outcome” and pledged to “work tirelessly to make life more affordable for ordinary Americans.”
Jeffries previously said on MS Now’s Morning Joe that Democrats will focus on getting things done, not revenge against President Donald Trump and his allies.
“We’ve been chasing affordability. We’ve won on affordability. And now it’s our job to manage affordability,” he said.
Democrats campaigned on lowering the soaring costs of food, gas, housing, and health care that are increasingly straining Americans. But even with a majority in Congress, Democrats may struggle to pass new legislation, as President Trump has threatened to use his presidential veto to block bills he opposes.
Jeffries pointed to the bipartisan Affordable Housing Act, passed in July, as an example of legislation that Democrats could push forward. The bill passed without President Trump’s signature after he dismissed it as a “yawn” and “very unimportant.”
Jeffries also acknowledged that Americans want to get things done, not “revenge,” but said Democrats will work to hold the Trump administration accountable for its wrongdoings.
“Corruption has a price,” he said, adding that Democrats will follow the facts and the law and “leave them where they fall.”
