Mutual recriminations abound between those who think now is the time for Democrats to focus on rebuilding trust with working-class voters to put the party in the most advantageous electoral position for 2026, and those who think it’s naive to believe we’re still living in a time of normal politics and that the only way to stop authoritarianism is building a movement outside of formal politics to apply maximal pressure against the Trump administration.

There is clearly truth in both arguments. On the one hand, if Democrats retake at least the House of Representatives in 2026, they would have substantial power to block new legislation proposed by Trump and his congressional allies, restrict or condition appropriations for key elements of his agenda, and use their oversight authority to scrutinize the administration’s most controversial actions. They could also leverage control over spending bills to force compromises on major policy priorities or risk another government shutdown.

Yet there are clear limits to what an electoral strategy alone can accomplish. Even if Democrats regain control of the House, structural barriers like Republican gerrymandering will continue to skew representation and make winning and sustaining a Democratic majority difficult. There is also the very real threat that many Republican officials will refuse to accept the results of a free and fair election in 2026, regardless of Democrats’ objective performance. Finally, the increasingly concentrated power of the executive branch — particularly under a president willing to test constitutional boundaries — means that control of one chamber of Congress may only partially constrain Trump’s actions, leaving significant areas of policy and enforcement beyond legislative reach.