In a strategic shift, the Democratic Party in the United States is centring its entire political strategy on a single, potent concept: affordability. As the November midterm elections approach, party leaders are relentlessly framing the high cost of living as the nation's most pressing issue, aiming to turn the tables on Republican rival Donald Trump.
A Deliberate Pivot to Pocketbook Politics
For much of Joe Biden's presidency, Democrats grappled defensively with a historic surge of pandemic-fuelled inflation that dampened his single term. Now, they are aggressively on the offensive. The party's top figures, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have made affordability a staple of press conferences and legislative agendas.
"Democrats in the House and Senate are focusing on lowering your costs, dealing with affordability," Schumer asserted this week, contrasting this with Republican focus on overseas military action. This rhetoric represents a conscious effort to reframe the economic debate and hold Trump accountable for his campaign pledge to lower prices "on day one" of his return to office.
Exploiting a Republican 'Achilles Heel'
Political analysts suggest the Democrats' focus is striking a nerve. Public approval of Trump's handling of the economy has slumped to 36%, according to a December NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, its lowest point since tracking began. Marc Hetherington, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina, identifies this as a critical vulnerability.
"It's a weakness for Republicans, because Republicans did say... we're going to make this better, and prices are going to go down. And, of course, they haven't," Hetherington stated. "That's an Achilles heel, and Democrats are well-served to take advantage of it."
Signs of Republican unease were evident when 17 House Republicans broke ranks to join Democrats in passing a three-year reinstatement of premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act health plans. This move circumvented Speaker Mike Johnson and was hailed by Hakeem Jeffries as proof the Democratic strategy is effective.
The Persistent Reality of Rising Costs
Despite inflation cooling from its peak of over 9% in mid-2022, the economic data underscores ongoing public anxiety. The latest Consumer Price Index showed prices rose at an annual rate of 2.7% in November, still above the Federal Reserve's target. Democrats and allied groups are ensuring this reality stays in voters' minds.
Non-profit group Unrig Our Economy spent $10 million last year urging constituents to tell Republican lawmakers "to stop driving up costs on everything from hamburgers to healthcare." Meanwhile, Republicans are pinning hopes on the upcoming tax season, rebranding parts of last summer's legislation as the "Working Families Tax Cut" and promising significant refunds.
However, the Democratic focus appears to be cutting through. Schumer has vowed to make high costs "the No 1 issue for all of 2026," suggesting this pocketbook offensive is not a fleeting tactic but a core, long-term campaign strategy designed to break Trump's connection with voters by focusing on their everyday financial struggles.
