Winning the midterms, part 2: Democrats’ top 5 issues

Time is running out for Democrats 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 most 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 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

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. 

What are the top issues and why?

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 it’s the most important and because of the direction it’s going.  As things get worse, the opportunity grows for us to convince more people that Trump isn’t keeping his promises on the economy, and that we can do better.  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.  The cost of health care

In February, 72% of Americans voted this a “very big problem,” # 2 on the list.  73% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans agreed.

Coming up in part 3

In part 3 of this series, I’ll discuss some policy solutions progressives should embrace on these issues.  These policies can help create a narrative that pins the problems on their true causes, monopoly and oligarchy, and frames the progressive agenda as the best way to take the people’s power back from big business and billionaires.