Democrats Secure Consecutive Election Victories
with "Cost of Living Relief" Message
On August 14, 2025, at a homeless tent village in Washington, protesters are holding signs while a volunteer (in the background) helps move the belongings of homeless people. The sign quotes Mark 8:36, saying, "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" and protests with the phrase "How much does this cost?" Photo by AP Yonhap News
Zohran Mamdani, the first immigrant to be elected as Mayor of New York, has brought the issue of "affordability" to the forefront of public debate.
"Affordability" is a catchphrase that promises to lower the cost burden of essential living expenses-such as housing, healthcare, childcare, groceries, and utilities-to a level that individuals can realistically manage.
On December 21, Yonhap News, citing The New York Times (NYT), reported that the opposition Democratic Party is aiming for victory in next year’s elections by championing "affordability."
Last month, the Democratic Party achieved significant victories in the New York mayoral election as well as the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, all while emphasizing this slogan. The NYT analyzed that the party intends to carry this momentum through to the upcoming midterm elections.
Previously, Mayor-elect Mamdani campaigned under the slogan "A City We Can Afford," proposing policies such as raising the minimum wage, free public buses, and free education. Abigail Spanberger, Governor-elect of Virginia, and Mikie Sherrill, Governor-elect of New Jersey, also announced their own "Affordable Virginia" plan and "Cost of Living Relief Plan," respectively.
On August 13, 2025, camping tents of homeless people are set up in a small park near Georgetown on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. Photo by AP Yonhap News
The NYT pointed out that, unlike previous Democratic narratives focused on economic fairness and inequality, this message is resonating across all classes, regions, races, and genders. Once, having enough funds for college, homeownership, and retirement was considered the standard for middle-class life in America, but now a sense of crisis over "unaffordability" dominates society as a whole.
Recent polling by PBS, NPR, and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion-conducted from August 8 to 11 among 1,440 adults and released on December 17 (local time) with a margin of error of ±3.2 percentage points-also highlighted concerns about the cost of living.
Seventy percent of respondents said that the cost of living in their area is "very difficult to afford" or "completely unaffordable," the highest percentage since Marist began asking this question in 2011.
In contrast, only 30% said that the cost of living is "manageable" or "very manageable," a sharp drop from 55% in previous surveys.
The American political sphere is also increasingly focused on "affordability." According to NYT's analysis of email exchanges among members of the U.S. Congress, the term "affordability" was mentioned 93 times this year, compared to just once in 2021-2022, six times in 2023, and seven times in 2024-a dramatic increase.
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