Why the “Affordability Agenda” Won’t Deliver for Democrats
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Politics
/ January 28, 2026
Why the “Affordability Agenda” Won’t Deliver for Democrats
The gospel of affordability is not bold enough to convince voters that the Democrats care about them. To build a lasting majority, Democrats must embrace populism.
Dustin Guastella
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Shoppers browse the bread aisle at a grocery store on January 23, 2026, in Lenexa, Kansas. Bread prices have increased by more than a third since January 2020.
(Chase Castor / Getty Images)
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats are preaching the affordability gospel. Leaders across the party—from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to centrist Blue Dogs like Abigail Spanberger in Virginia—have embraced affordability. Democratic Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Richard E. Neal (MA-01) even introduced a bill called the American Affordability Act, which promises to reduce housing, educational, and childcare costs with a variety of tax credits. Congressional campaign professionals have been urging candidates from coast to coast to adopt an “affordability agenda.” And—for good reason—recent polling shows that the cost of living tops the list of voters’ concerns.
In some ways this represents a step forward for the Democrats. It gives the party a unifying, positive, economic message to hammer against a GOP that seems increasingly aloof to the cost-of-living crisis. It’s a much better message than the doom-and-gloom democracy-mongering that dominated Kamala Harris’s message toward the end of her 2024 campaign. Plus, the “affordability agenda” allows liberals to concede that there is something wrong with the economy without committing them to the barn-burning rhetoric or egalitarian policies that make donors nervous.
Current Issue
February 2026 Issue
That said, the politics of “affordability” are trickier than the word might suggest.
First, affordability-washing can’t make up for bad social and cultural politics. Consider Aftyn Behn, the progressive candidate for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Behn was a homer for the affordability agenda—her slogan was “Feed kids, fix roads, fund hospitals.” Not bad. Yet her opponents tied her campaign to her past calls to “abolish” and “defund” the police. And though she dialed down her criticisms of the police, Behn refused to change her mind about these issues. That hurt her ability to reach working-class voters outside of wealthy Nashville. The lesson from Behn’s campaign is that affordability-maxxing can’t hide bad positions.
Second, making America affordable is much easier said than done. Remember, Trump promised to bring costs down in the face of record …
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Current Issue
Politics
/ January 28, 2026
Why the “Affordability Agenda” Won’t Deliver for Democrats
The gospel of affordability is not bold enough to convince voters that the Democrats care about them. To build a lasting majority, Democrats must embrace populism.
Dustin Guastella
Share
Copy Link
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Ad Policy
Shoppers browse the bread aisle at a grocery store on January 23, 2026, in Lenexa, Kansas. Bread prices have increased by more than a third since January 2020.
(Chase Castor / Getty Images)
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats are preaching the affordability gospel. Leaders across the party—from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to centrist Blue Dogs like Abigail Spanberger in Virginia—have embraced affordability. Democratic Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Richard E. Neal (MA-01) even introduced a bill called the American Affordability Act, which promises to reduce housing, educational, and childcare costs with a variety of tax credits. Congressional campaign professionals have been urging candidates from coast to coast to adopt an “affordability agenda.” And—for good reason—recent polling shows that the cost of living tops the list of voters’ concerns.
In some ways this represents a step forward for the Democrats. It gives the party a unifying, positive, economic message to hammer against a GOP that seems increasingly aloof to the cost-of-living crisis. It’s a much better message than the doom-and-gloom democracy-mongering that dominated Kamala Harris’s message toward the end of her 2024 campaign. Plus, the “affordability agenda” allows liberals to concede that there is something wrong with the economy without committing them to the barn-burning rhetoric or egalitarian policies that make donors nervous.
Current Issue
February 2026 Issue
That said, the politics of “affordability” are trickier than the word might suggest.
First, affordability-washing can’t make up for bad social and cultural politics. Consider Aftyn Behn, the progressive candidate for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Behn was a homer for the affordability agenda—her slogan was “Feed kids, fix roads, fund hospitals.” Not bad. Yet her opponents tied her campaign to her past calls to “abolish” and “defund” the police. And though she dialed down her criticisms of the police, Behn refused to change her mind about these issues. That hurt her ability to reach working-class voters outside of wealthy Nashville. The lesson from Behn’s campaign is that affordability-maxxing can’t hide bad positions.
Second, making America affordable is much easier said than done. Remember, Trump promised to bring costs down in the face of record …
Why the “Affordability Agenda” Won’t Deliver for Democrats
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Why the “Affordability Agenda” Won’t Deliver for Democrats
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Current Issue
Politics
/ January 28, 2026
Why the “Affordability Agenda” Won’t Deliver for Democrats
The gospel of affordability is not bold enough to convince voters that the Democrats care about them. To build a lasting majority, Democrats must embrace populism.
Dustin Guastella
Share
Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Email
Ad Policy
Shoppers browse the bread aisle at a grocery store on January 23, 2026, in Lenexa, Kansas. Bread prices have increased by more than a third since January 2020.
(Chase Castor / Getty Images)
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats are preaching the affordability gospel. Leaders across the party—from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to centrist Blue Dogs like Abigail Spanberger in Virginia—have embraced affordability. Democratic Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Richard E. Neal (MA-01) even introduced a bill called the American Affordability Act, which promises to reduce housing, educational, and childcare costs with a variety of tax credits. Congressional campaign professionals have been urging candidates from coast to coast to adopt an “affordability agenda.” And—for good reason—recent polling shows that the cost of living tops the list of voters’ concerns.
In some ways this represents a step forward for the Democrats. It gives the party a unifying, positive, economic message to hammer against a GOP that seems increasingly aloof to the cost-of-living crisis. It’s a much better message than the doom-and-gloom democracy-mongering that dominated Kamala Harris’s message toward the end of her 2024 campaign. Plus, the “affordability agenda” allows liberals to concede that there is something wrong with the economy without committing them to the barn-burning rhetoric or egalitarian policies that make donors nervous.
Current Issue
February 2026 Issue
That said, the politics of “affordability” are trickier than the word might suggest.
First, affordability-washing can’t make up for bad social and cultural politics. Consider Aftyn Behn, the progressive candidate for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Behn was a homer for the affordability agenda—her slogan was “Feed kids, fix roads, fund hospitals.” Not bad. Yet her opponents tied her campaign to her past calls to “abolish” and “defund” the police. And though she dialed down her criticisms of the police, Behn refused to change her mind about these issues. That hurt her ability to reach working-class voters outside of wealthy Nashville. The lesson from Behn’s campaign is that affordability-maxxing can’t hide bad positions.
Second, making America affordable is much easier said than done. Remember, Trump promised to bring costs down in the face of record …
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