Democrats set optimistic goals after 2016 'autopsy'

House Democrats set an optimistic goal this week of storming back and retaking the House next year, through a combination of new messaging and targeting districts in the country where Democrats hope they have become more competitive.

The plan was solidified during their annual retreat, after members absorbed Part one of an "autopsy" of their disastrous 2016 election that failed to meet expectations in Congress and ushered Presidnet Trump into the White House.

In a 90-minute presentation before the Democratic caucus Thursday afternoon, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., laid out Part 1 of his deep dive into what happened in November and what House Democrats can do to emerge from their minority status.

Maloney argued that the party may not be able to compete again in some areas, particularly rural parts of the country that Trump won overwhelmingly in November even though they used to be Democratic pockets of support. However, he said suburban areas that have long supported Republicans offer an opportunity for the party, many of which have become more demographically diverse and feature more college-educated voters.

"We can win where we used to struggle and we're struggling a bit where we used to win," Maloney told the Washington Post in an interview Thursday ahead of the presentation.