he midterm elections for control of Congress are a fight for democracy and "very winnable" for the Democrats despite some polls suggesting Republicans are

"People say to me, 'What can I do to make you feel better?' I say: 'Vote!"' Mrs Pelosi said in a video call on Friday, her first public appearance since the brutal attack on her husband.

She thanked those on a video call for the outpouring of support for Paul Pelosi, 82, who suffered a fractured skull and other injuries after an intruder broke into their San Francisco home late last week and bludgeoned him with a hammer in what authorities say was an intentional and political attack.

"What we are doing is not only to win an election, but this is to strengthen our democracy," Mrs Pelosi said. "There is no question that our democracy is on the ballot."

The speaker's comments come as Democrats are facing a stiff fight for control of Congress in the midterm elections Tuesday, as energized Republicans are working to flip the House and Senate and end Democratic hold on Washington.

in the lead, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said.

04:03 PMDemocrat Joe Manchin tears into Biden's 'disgusting' call to shut down coal mines

West Virginia's Democratic Senator Joe Manchin has torn into President Joe Biden's claim that he wants to shut down coal mines across the country to replace them with wind and solar plants,