The House GOP campaign chair predicts a shift to offense in the 2026 midterms.

The GOP has a significant advantage in the 2026 midterm elections due to President-elect Trump's convincing 2024 White House victory.

In a recent Planet Chronicle Digital interview, National Republican Congressional Committee chair Rep. Richard Hudson stated that the battlefield is favorable to the Republicans. There are 14 Democrats who won seats in districts that were also carried by Donald Trump. However, there are only three Republicans in seats that were carried by Kamala Harris. This indicates that the Republicans will be on offense.

Last month, Vice President Harris was defeated by Trump, who won the national popular vote and carried all seven crucial battleground states.

Despite losing two seats in the House, the Republicans retained control of the Senate and will hold a slim 220-215 majority in the new Congress.

In the 2018 midterms, Democrats focused their efforts on approximately two dozen Republican representatives in districts where Trump had lost the election in 2016.

In the 2018 midterm elections, the Democrats managed to regain control of the House of Representatives by winning over voters.

In eight years, the roles of the parties will be reversed, with Republicans defending their seats in districts won by the president-elect.

Hudson, who has represented a congressional district in central North Carolina for a dozen years, boasted about the numerous opportunities for us to launch an attack.

Hudson argued that House Republicans who will face the Democrats in the upcoming election cycle are "battle-tested," as they have already experienced being targeted with millions of dollars spent against them.

"Their success can be attributed to their diligence in their districts. They have built strong brands and are known for their ability to get things done and meet the needs of their community," he emphasized. "The Republicans in challenging seats are our strongest candidates."

Three House Republicans who won re-election in districts that Harris carried last month are Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York.

In 2026, there will be a significant difference as Trump, who motivated low-turnout voters to vote this year, will not be on the ballot for the midterms.

Hudson acknowledged that he would prefer to have the other candidate on the ballot because he motivates voters who tend to stay away from other candidates.

He contended that if the race progressed as expected, they had campaigned on a set of key issues that they pledged to deliver. If they fulfilled those promises and had Donald Trump campaigning alongside their candidates, he believed they could drive out a higher percentage of voters in midterms than they had in the past.

Trump was a great partner with House Republicans this year, and Hudson predicts he will be again in the upcoming election cycle.

"Trump is deeply concerned about maintaining a House majority because he knows that a Democrat-controlled House would halt his agenda. He has been actively involved and has been a valuable ally in the past election. I expect him to continue this level of engagement."

As he prepares for his second term as NRCC chair, Hudson prioritizes candidate recruitment and fundraising in his committee's to-do list.

First, we must recruit candidates with high quality. Then, we need to raise funds. I will be traveling to assist our incumbents. However, I am excited about this endeavor.

Planet Chronicle' Emma Woodhead contributed to this report

On Friday, a report featuring an interview with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington will be posted on Planet Chronicle Digital.