Republicans Fear Losing House Ahead of 2026 Midterm Elections

• Republicans fear losing control of House
• Polls point to difficulties for the Republican Party
• Leaders seek to preserve their Senate majority

Republicans could lose the House. The Republican Party is beginning to adopt a damage-control strategy, increasingly accepting what polls suggest: that after the November midterm elections, it could lose control of the House of Representatives amid growing dissatisfaction with U.S. President Donald Trump over rising living costs.

The news outlet Politico reported Wednesday that some high-ranking Republican congressional leaders have privately concluded that maintaining control of the House of Representatives may be impossible and that the focus should now shift to preserving their Senate majority.

Five Republican lawmakers spoke to Politico anonymously and said the House is practically already lost.

Republicans Fear Losing the House: What Leaders Are Predicting

One lawmaker said Trump is not helping improve voter sentiment and that the goal is to «save as many Republican seats as possible,» while another predicted that Democrats will gain around 10 seats, more than enough to take control of the House of Representatives.

The U.S. president has decided to turn the November 3 elections into a kind of referendum on his presidency and has launched an intense campaign, with rallies scheduled in several states through Election Day.

The Republican Party has already cut financial support to candidates in several competitive House districts and is expected to expand that strategy as it directs more money toward races where conservative candidates have a better chance of winning in the 2026 midterm elections.

Republicans Enter a Damage-Control Phase

The party is under particular pressure in the Midwest, where it is trying to secure Senate seats in states that were once considered safe strongholds of Trumpism, including Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.

Earlier this week, CNN also reported that Republicans are entering a damage-control phase based on what current polls show.

The midterm elections will determine all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the 100 seats in the Senate.

Trump’s Republicans, whose popularity has declined amid rising living costs and the war with Iran, currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers: four more seats in the House and six in the Senate.