NerdWallet will be defining some of the slogans and catchphrases that are appearing in campaign ads and coverage in the weeks leading up to the election. This is the third in the series.
Affordability is taking center stage in the 2026 elections, perhaps more than any other area of interest. In a poll released this month by health policy nonprofit KFF, 62% of voters say the cost of living is the top issue they want to hear about from candidates. Among the top concerns were affording the cost of health care, gas and other transportation.
Candidates are meeting this moment of public outrage by using the high cost of living as a political frame to package a range of policies. Here are some of the slogans you might be seeing and what’s behind them.
‘Make stuff cost less’
Who says it: Roy Cooper, former governor and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina.
Why he thinks stuff costs too much: Cooper argues that families are being squeezed by high prices for groceries, housing, health care, along with child care and utilities. He says tariffs are driving up costs, while corporations and special interests have too much influence over the economy.
What he’s promising to do: Lower household costs by blocking anti-competitive mergers and banning algorithmic pricing; restore coverage lost to ACA and Medicaid cuts and cut drug costs through Medicare negotiation and out-of-pocket caps; make data centers pay their full power costs and ban utility shutoffs during extreme weather; expand the child care tax credit and grow the child care workforce; and build more homes while barring corporate and foreign buyers from single-family homes and ending tariffs that inflate building costs.
‘Affordability agenda’
Who says it: Deb Haaland, Democratic candidate for governor of New Mexico.
Why she thinks stuff costs too much: Haaland argues that New Mexicans are struggling to afford everyday necessities while wages have not kept pace with those expenses. She says corporations and big companies have driven up costs while posting record profits. She also blames the Trump administration for raising the cost of living through tariffs.
What she’s promising to do: Cut grocery costs by supporting local grocers and growers and waiving permit fees for stores in food deserts; lower housing costs by speeding up approvals and banning AI-driven rent fixing, and cut utility bills by expanding renewable energy; raise pay and put money back in families’ pockets by raising the minimum wage by adjusting for inflation each year and expanding the Child Tax Credit.
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‘Cut taxes, cut utility bills’
Who says it: Bruce Blakeman, Republican candidate for governor of New York.
Why he thinks stuff costs too much: Blakeman blames high taxes and state energy policies for making New York too expensive. He also argues that the state’s green energy policies and utility rate hikes have driven up electricity bills.
What he’s promising to do: Lower taxes, cut utility bills “in half,”, but he does not indicate how the latter would happen. He also proposes to expand domestic energy production, which would include lifting New York’s ban on fracking.
‘Gas, grits and groceries’
Who says it: Annie Andrews, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina.
Why she thinks stuff costs too much: Andrews argues that South Carolina families are facing rising costs for basic necessities, particularly food, energy, housing and child care. She says corrupt politicians and big corporations keep raising everyday costs, and she blames tariffs for raising grocery prices.
What she’s promising to do: Suspend the federal gas and diesel taxes for immediate relief at the pump; cut energy and grocery bills; expand housing access; give local communities the power to push back on data center development; expand the child care workforce through a federal apprenticeship program and add federal support to raise wages for child care workers.
‘Unrig the economy’
Who says it: James Talarico, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas.
Why he thinks stuff costs too much: Talarico frames high costs as part of a broader “corruption crisis.” Talarico says billionaires have had too much political influence and the economy works in their favor.
What he’s promising to do: Raise the minimum wage; expand overtime pay; cancel medical debt; pass universal child care, paid family leave and an expanded child tax credit; repeal tax breaks for the top 1% and redirect the money into a “cost-of-living tax cut”; offer downpayment assistance to first-time homebuyers; cut regulations to streamline new home construction. He’s also pursuing an anti-corruption package. To address rising energy costs, Talarico says he would repeal tax breaks for data centers and require facilities to pay for their own power infrastructure. He would also support suspending the federal gas tax.
‘Protecting the Texas Promise’
Who says it: Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas.
Why he thinks stuff costs too much: Paxton has blamed corporate price-gouging and government spending for driving up costs.
What he’s promising to do: Create federal tax deductions for out-of-pocket medical expenses and first-time homebuyers, including a $50,000 deduction for home purchases. Double the child tax credit, offer a $5,000 deduction for healthy-lifestyle expenses such as gym memberships and make Trump Accounts for children permanent. Paxton says his tax cuts would let families keep more of their money and help stimulate the economy. He also supports requiring data centers to fund their own power infrastructure and exempting certain off-grid power systems from most federal electricity regulations.
‘Lower costs. raise stability. Put families first.’
Who says it: Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general and U.S. health and human services secretary who is running as the Democratic candidate for governor of California.
Why he thinks stuff costs too much: Becerra argues that families face high costs for housing, health care, gas and groceries, while corporations take advantage of weak competition and price-gouging. He has said the cost-of-living crisis threatens the “California Dream.”
What he’s promising to do: Freeze utility rates and home insurance premiums; crack down on price gouging; expand child care support; cut permitting delays to speed up construction by declaring a housing state of emergency. He’s also pitched himself as the “health care governor” and is promising to cover all Californians.
How to learn more about what you’re voting for
To find out more about what’s on your ballot, start with your state or local election office. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission and Can I Vote both provide directories linking voters to official state election resources. You can also find out what positions candidates are taking using VOTE411 from the League of Women Voters.
