Inside the GOP's fight to avoid a House wipeout

Axios · 10/19/2026, 11:03:05 PM

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise won't talk about defeat, even as his outside GOP allies are pulling money anyway. Why it matters: Republicans face brutal political headwinds, but Scalise (R-La.) stands out from his fellow leaders for refusing to even contemplate losing the House . Zoom in: At an event for Republican Marty O'Donnell, who's challenging Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), Scalise argued that his presence in the district was evidence Republicans are still on offense. "If it's some horrible cycle for Republicans, then why am I here?" Scalise told supporters at a Las Vegas country club Thursday. "This is a winnable race," he said. But MAGA Inc., a super PAC allied with President Trump, pulled nearly $1 million in advertising from the race last week. The big picture: House Democrats lead the generic ballot by eight points in new Washington Post-ABC polling . Trump's approval is at a record low of 31% ( Reuters/Ipsos ) and 72% say the country is on the wrong track (Post/ABC). He's making 56 campaign stops between August and Election Day as part of what he's dubbed the "Save America Tour," complete with T-shirts featuring a map of his travels. "This is like better than a rock band," Scalise told Axios during an in-flight interview while campaigning in Arizona and Nevada last week. Scalise identified 35 competitive districts , including 15 Democratic-held seats Republicans believe they have a chance to flip. He pointed to Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) as races he'll watch closely as bellwethers for how the night could unfold. The pro-Scalise super PAC Save American Freedom is also launching a $3.5 million get-out-the-vote and digital advertising blitz to help 52 House Republicans, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Among the Republicans benefiting are Reps. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Mike Carey (R-Ohio) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.), along with GOP candidates Ralph Alvarado (KY-6), Alex Mealer (TX-9) and Je