Jeffries Backs Democrats’ House Chances While Campaigning for Kaptur in Ohio/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed confidence in his party’s election prospects while campaigning Sunday for Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Toledo, Ohio. He emphasized affordability and rejected Republican predictions of another election victory like their 2024 sweep. Jeffries also pledged a bipartisan push for new Russia sanctions that President Donald Trump would not be able to waive.
Quick Look
- House majority fight: Jeffries said the political climate continues to favor Democrats ahead of Nov. 3.
- Ohio battleground: Kaptur faces Republican Derek Merrin in a rematch in a district Trump has carried.
- Affordability message: Jeffries said Democrats are campaigning on lowering Americans’ costs.
- Sanctions response: He proposed pursuing a new Russia sanctions package without presidential waiver authority.
- Kaptur’s criticism: The Congressional Ukraine Caucus co-chair accused Trump of siding with Vladimir Putin.
- Johnson’s concerns: The speaker said lawmakers should carefully consider the consequences of Trump’s waiver.
Deep Look
Jeffries Expresses Confidence in Democrats’ House Prospects
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that Democrats remain well positioned in the battle for control of the House as he campaigned alongside Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Toledo, Ohio.
Jeffries, who could become speaker if Democrats regain the majority, has visited approximately 50 cities to support the party’s candidates.
He rejected Speaker Mike Johnson’s suggestion that the Nov. 3 election could resemble the Republican victories of 2024, calling House Republicans “divorced from reality.”
“The climate continues to hold firm,” Jeffries said of Democrats’ prospects.
He described affordability and a change in direction as central to the party’s message.
“We are working hard across the country, continuing to make the case that we need dramatic change as opposed to the status quo,” he said, “and that Democrats are going to be the only ones to fight to make this country affordable.”
Kaptur-Merrin Rematch Puts Toledo Seat in Spotlight
Ohio’s congressional contests could help determine control of both chambers.
The Senate race between Republican Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown has attracted substantial attention, but competitive House districts also remain important to each party’s path to a majority.
Kaptur’s Toledo-area seat is a leading Republican target. Although she has represented the area for decades and is the House’s longest-serving woman, Trump has carried the district.
Republican Derek Merrin is challenging her again after losing to her two years ago.
“We work very hard,” Kaptur told The Associated Press. “We don’t just work at elections. We work to make a difference in the lives of people.”
Kaptur, 80, said she has recovered from injuries sustained in an August traffic collision. She was a passenger in a vehicle heading to church when it was struck, and she was hospitalized afterward.
Jeffries described her as a legendary figure in the Great Lakes region.
“Once again, she’s going to defy all expectations,” he said.
Jeffries Seeks Russia Sanctions Without Presidential Waivers
During the campaign visit, Jeffries criticized Trump’s decision to waive sanctions against Russia shortly before they were scheduled to take effect.
He said House lawmakers would pursue a bipartisan sanctions package that would not give the president authority to waive its provisions.
“It’s shocking, but not surprising, that an American president would do so much to undermine the cause of democracy, freedom and dignity for the Ukrainian people,” Jeffries told AP after visiting church services in Toledo.
Trump issued the waiver late Friday, affecting sanctions Congress had approved to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
The measures, named for Lindsey Graham, were due to take effect Sunday. Trump had signed the legislation into law just last month.
Kaptur Condemns Trump’s Decision on Russia
The Toledo area has a substantial Ukrainian American communitygiving the sanctions debate particular local significance.
Kaptur founded and co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, which focuses on issues involving Ukraine.
She sharply criticized Trump’s decision to waive the sanctions.
“What he did is just un-American,” Kaptur said. “He has sided with Putin.”
Her comments joined objections from Democratic and Republican lawmakers who expressed anger over the weekend about the president’s action.
Johnson Says Lawmakers Must Weigh Consequences
Johnson acknowledged Sunday that several colleagues had raised concerns about the sanctions waiver.
Speaking on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” he said he had not yet discussed the decision with Trump but understood that the president was evaluating the situation.
“We need to talk about it and I think carefully consider the unintended consequences,” Johnson said.
The sanctions dispute has become another issue in the closing weeks of an election campaign that will determine control of Congress.
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