The setting is on the Pennsylvania battlefield. What is at stake is control of the House.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries will unveil the party’s Fighting for an Affordable America agenda on Sunday, with the midterm elections 100 days away and working to focus voters’ attention ahead of November.

In Pennsylvania’s 7th District, located in the Lehigh Valley, Jeffries and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, are rallying support for Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter trying to unseat the incumbent Republican congressman as Democrats seek the House majority.

Jeffries, D-N.Y., said the goal is to “make clear to the American people that we are focused on reducing the cost of food, gas and housing, that we are committed to a country that provides affordable health care for all Americans.”

Down the road, Brooks’ rival, freshman Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, is launching his own 100-day event.

It’s a symbolic start to a campaign season that has been underway for much of a tumultuous year that included partisan battles over redistricting, contentious primaries in both parties and major Supreme Court rulings on campaign finance.

Midterm elections are often a referendum on the party in power, and the races take on the second term of President Donald Trump, whose military actions against Iran and economic policies backed by the Republican majority in Congress are reshaping the political landscape.

“We have to win the midterm elections,” Trump said during a visit last month to a Mack Truck plant in the district, where he promoted Mackenzie’s candidacy.

Trump has made several visits to competitive states as Republican candidates rely on the power of the presidency to boost their campaigns. Last week he was in Georgia, a key state with an important Senate race, and he has a trip to battleground Michigan coming up.

While the president expresses support for the Republican base during his rallies, he also dedicates much of his time on stage to a wide range of issues, including the US-Mexico border, opposition to transgender rights and criticism of judges.

Republicans hope the president’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of tax breaks and spending cuts, along with a measure the House recently passed aimed at limiting lawmakers’ stock trading, will give them a lift among voters.

But they face a historic trend that sees the president’s party lose seats in midterm elections and face the unpopularity of war with Iran.

Democrats aim to take advantage of voters’ disapproval of the war and refocus attention on everyday issues such as rising costs and gasoline prices to propel them to victory in the closely divided House of Representatives.

Although 435 House seats are up for grabs this fall, control of the House is often determined by just a handful of competitive districts. Fewer than 20 seats are among the most closely watched, what analysts call real swings.

Pennsylvania’s 7th District is a key battleground along with races elsewhere in the state, reflecting significant political weight not only as a presidential swing state but as the path to a House majority. Democrats are also targeting House races in Pennsylvania’s 1st, 8th and 10th districts, all Republican-held seats.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, is preparing to embark on his own cross-country trip to raise money for the GOP and support Republican candidates as he works to retain his majority.

Republicans have a monetary advantage over Democrats in the race for control of the House. One question looming over the election is how the Supreme Court’s June ruling affecting campaign finance might impact now that national parties can make direct contributions to candidates’ campaigns.

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Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.