The bold 2026 agenda we need, part 1: 5 issues Democrats must embrace now

For a full year now, since Trump was elected, Democrats have floundered.  Time is running out for them to unite around a winning agenda for the 2026 midterms and beyond.

A policy agenda that resonates with some Republican and independent voters, as well as a majority of Democrats, is a must for Democrats to win the midterms and begin rebranding the party.

This does NOT mean that the agenda, or candidates, must be “moderate.” Far from it.  It just means that they must have appeal BEYOND the Democratic base.

I’ve chosen five issues that are most likely to succeed for Democrats overall, based on recent Pew Center research reports focused on views of economic issues as national problems (released in October and back in February).* 

On December 4, Chuck Schumer announced he wants Democratic lawmakers to focus on legislation to lower costs in FOUR areas: Health care, housing, food and energy.  He’s late to the party, of course – others have created their work groups and come out with legislation already. But it can only be good if Democrats all focus on the right issues, even if their analysis and solutions differ to some degree.  The top issues are:

 1.  Trump’s policies are making the economy worse

In October, a majority of Americans – 53% - agreed with this statement.  That includes 87% of Democrats – and almost 20%, or one in five, Republicans.  Even more important, almost half of Americans believe economic conditions will be worse a year from now, driven by rising pessimism among Republicans.

In another Pew survey about Americans’ views on political parties, 38% of Americans say they agree with the GOP on policies to deal with the economy, while 35% agree with the Democratic Party.  Two years ago, the GOP had a 12-point advantage on this issue – they’ve lost almost all of it.

Why is this #1? Because of the direction it’s going.  As things get worse, the opportunity grows for us to convince more people that key Trump policies are driving the problem, and that our solutions are right for the moment.  What we start talking about now, and keep repeating, will land even harder later. 

2.   The price of food and consumer goods

 

This was the top issue Americans were “very concerned” about, at 65%, in October.   That includes 77% of Democrats and a majority of Republicans (52%).  The GOP can’t hide the reality of high prices or the fact that Trump’s actions haven’t improved things – no matter how hard they try.

3.    The cost of housing

This was the second most important issue for Americans, at 61%, in October.  That includes 71% of Democrats and a majority of Republicans at 51%.  This is a crisis across all income levels and geographic areas.  The only idea the GOP has to fix it is the 50-year mortgage. 

4.  Money in politics

In February, at the dawn of the second Trump administration, 72% of Americans voted this a “very big problem,” at the top of the list.  78% of Democrats and 66% of Republicans agreed.

5.   Health care affordability

 

In February, 72% of Americans voted this a “very big problem,” No. 2 on the Pew list.  73% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans agreed.

Coming up: parts 2 and 3

In part 2 of this series, I’ll discuss the big policy swings progressives should take on these issues. I’ll show how they can create a narrative that pins these problems on their true causes, monopoly and oligarchy, and frames their program as taking the people’s power back from big business and billionaires. 

In part 3, I’ll address another group of issues that will become more critical over the next few months to few years, and how they fit into the narrative.

*As a research professional, I find the Pew Center research very reliable and valuable. This is in spite of the fact that they use a practice I am bitterly opposed to – lumping “leaning” independents with each party, rather than considering them separately. Every report includes an exhaustive explanation of the research methodology. If you want evidence that they can be trusted, I suggest you examine the methodology material.