Hey everyone,
I’ve been spending a lot of time on TV lately talking about something that too many people in power still want to wish away: the fact that everything feels more expensive and less secure for working people. From groceries to rent to the job market, voters aren’t living in the same economy that Trump describes when he calls affordability a “hoax” from the White House podium. They’re living in the one where their paychecks don’t go as far and they’re terrified of losing their jobs.
What we’re seeing in places like Virginia and New Jersey is that when Democrats recruit strong, district-aligned candidates who actually talk about cost of living, they can not only win — they can blow past our 2024 margins. At the same time, Republicans are underperforming their last results almost everywhere, in special elections and regular races alike, because you can’t gaslight people about the price of milk and expect them to thank you at the polls.
But this isn’t a simple “Democrats good, Republicans bad” story. My warning to both parties is the same: if you ignore the lived reality of working-class voters, they will either stay home or send you a message you don’t like. That’s why I keep hammering on candidate quality, coalition politics, and affordability — not as Beltway buzzwords, but as the difference between a normal midterm and a potential 40-seat earthquake.
We have a chance to build a coalition that actually reflects the pain people are feeling and offers them something better. That’s the project I care about — not just for Democrats, but for our democracy.
—Mike
