Democratic governors from across the country gathered in Arizona over the weekend of December 7-8, 2025, united by a single, pressing concern: the rising cost of living for average Americans. Against the backdrop of a shifting political landscape and recent electoral victories, the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) aimed to craft a strategy for the 2026 midterms centered on one word—affordability.
For many Americans, the cost of housing, child care, groceries, and utilities has become a daily worry. According to Associated Press and Politico, the Democratic governors believe that focusing on these bread-and-butter issues is their best hope for growing their ranks in statehouses and countering what they see as Republican complacency on economic hardship. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, the newly minted DGA chair and a possible presidential contender in 2028, put it plainly: “We have to be laser focused on people’s everyday concerns and how hard life is right now for the American people.”
The meeting in Phoenix was more than a brainstorming session—it was a rallying cry. Beshear and his colleagues argued that Democrats can wield the affordability message as both a shield and a sword: a shield to protect vulnerable incumbents and a sword to challenge President Donald Trump and his party, without making Trump the main character of their campaigns. “Yes, we can judge a president, and we should judge this president,” Beshear told reporters. “But we never judge those voters.”
This pragmatic approach comes after a bruising 2024 election cycle, when Trump reclaimed the White House and Republicans seized majorities in both chambers of Congress. Yet, Democrats found reasons for optimism in last month’s gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia, where candidates ran and won on promises to tackle affordability head-on. As Politico reported, these victories helped solidify the party’s new focus.
But the Democratic push is not without its critics—or its risks. President Trump, for his part, has dismissed the affordability crisis as a political invention. “There’s this fake narrative that the Democrats talk about—affordability. They just say the word, it doesn’t mean anything to anybody,” Trump declared during a Cabinet meeting last week, calling the issue a “con job” and a “Democratic scam.” House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed this sentiment, telling the press, “It’s gonna be fine.”
Yet, polling tells a different story. The Politico/Public First survey found that most Americans—remarkably, even 37% of Trump’s own 2024 voters—blame the president for the current affordability crisis. The message from voters is clear: economic anxiety is real, and it’s top of mind heading into the next election cycle.
Democratic governors argue that Republicans have not only failed to address affordability, but have made things worse. The party’s hallmark legislation since Trump’s return to office, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” cut funding for Medicaid and slashed Affordable Care Act subsidies—moves that, Democrats contend, have driven costs up for millions. Trump’s import tariffs, rolled out in April 2025, have also contributed to inflation, with annual rates rising to 3% by the end of the year, up from 2.3% before the tariffs took effect. As AP noted, these policies have squeezed middle- and working-class families, leading to reduced consumer spending and job cuts in some sectors.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on December 7, 2025, insisted that the administration is committed to reversing this trend. “I expect inflation to roll down strongly next year,” Bessent said, framing the administration’s focus on reducing inflation as its next big priority after tackling immigration and pushing for lower interest rates.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Governors Association is setting its sights on some of the most competitive races in the country. Beshear singled out Georgia, Iowa, and Nevada as the top three states where Democrats hope to flip Republican-held governor’s seats in 2026. The stakes are high: 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections next year, with swing states like Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Georgia expected to see fierce contests. The party’s improved standing—Democrats will control 24 governor’s offices starting January 2026, up from 16 after the 2016 election—has energized activists and donors alike, though Republicans still hold a narrow edge with 26 seats.
But there are tensions within the Democratic camp over how aggressively to confront Trump and how best to deliver on affordability. The party’s ideological diversity was on display last month, when Democratic moderates like Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia won their races on pragmatic affordability platforms, while Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani captured the New York mayoralty promising more sweeping economic reforms. All three ran on affordability, but their visions for achieving it were markedly different.
Some Democrats worry that the party’s focus on affordability could backfire if economic conditions improve or if they fail to deliver on their promises. “Deliver for me. But don’t forget to fight this,” urged New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. “They do want both, and finding ways to cross-cut those and marry that I think is going to be a winning set of messages.”
Republicans, for their part, have downplayed the urgency of the affordability crisis. But cracks are beginning to show. In Tennessee’s recent special election for the 7th District, the Republican candidate won, but by a margin 13 percentage points lower than Trump’s 2024 performance—a sign, Democrats argue, that voter frustration with rising costs is hurting the GOP even in deep-red territory.
Looking ahead, Democrats are also eyeing long-term opportunities in states like Texas. Gina Hinojosa, a Texas lawmaker running for governor, is making the case to national donors that flipping the state is essential for the party’s future. With Texas projected to gain at least four House seats and Electoral College votes after the 2030 census, the stakes could hardly be higher. “If we don’t flip before the end of the decade, there won’t be Democratic control of Congress or the White House,” Hinojosa warned. “Because the math doesn’t work.”
As the 2026 election cycle heats up, one thing is certain: affordability will be at the center of the debate. Whether Democrats can translate their message into meaningful change—and whether Republicans can convince voters that all is well—remains to be seen. For now, both parties are betting that their vision for America’s economic future will resonate where it matters most: at the kitchen table.
