Following Democrats’ sweep of key races on Tuesday night, Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he expects Republicans to be laser-focused on affordability issues ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Thune said that while Democrats’ strong electoral performance should be taken with a grain of salt given poor GOP candidate quality in some races, Republicans’ top takeaway should be crafting a “winning” message over the next year. The majority leader added that this means talking more about inflation, economic growth, jobs — and he believes Republicans are well-positioned to win the debate in the eyes of voters.
“Those are the issues clearly that people are focused on,” Thune told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday during an interview in his leadership suite. “And I think we’ve got a good answer.”
In New York City, Virginia and New Jersey most voters named the economy or cost of living as their top issue, according to exit polls.
Though Republicans secured a trifecta in 2024 amid voters’ discontent with former President Joe Biden’s approach to the economy, some voters appear to still be feeling squeezed.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released Sunday found that six in ten Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy. Roughly the same percentage of respondents gave the president either a “great deal” or “good amount” of blame for the current rate of inflation.
If Republicans fail to prevent Democratic gains during the midterms, Trump’s policy agenda could stall during the final two years of his term.
Thune argued the fundamentals are present for Republicans to have a compelling economic message ahead of November 2026.
He pointed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts — as an example of how Republicans will talk about easing the cost of living.
“The economic benefit of that will continue to manifest itself in the economy for working people,” Thune told the DCNF while mentioning popular provisions of the budget law, including new tax breaks for tipped workers, employees who receive overtime pay and seniors.
“It’s really a function of who’s best on the economy,” Thune added. “Once we have an opportunity to get our message out there, it’ll become clear who is.”
Many of the policy changes in Republicans’ budget law are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025, and some Americans are expected to see the benefits when filing taxes early next year.
The majority leader also hinted that Republicans could take additional legislative action in the coming months to help address Americans’ concerns about pocketbook issues.
Republicans are also expected to use New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as a foil following his election to lead America’s most populous city on Tuesday evening.
Thune argued that the 34-year-old socialist is “the face of the modern Democratic Party” and said that his far-left brand will be toxic in most parts of the country.
Democrats are undertaking a longshot bid to take Senate control during the midterms. The party must flip four seats and maintain holds in Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire to reclaim the majority.
“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if his views, given how far out of the mainstream they are, do become the fodder for campaign ads,” Thune told the DCNF. “It’s inevitable.”
“I suspect that as he has an opportunity to govern and implement some of these ideas, you’ll see why socialism is something this country’s rejected,” Thune continued.
Trump also signaled on Wednesday that he will talk more about affordability issues following Tuesday night’s election results.
“We have the greatest economy right now, a lot of people don’t see that,” Trump said Wednesday during remarks to the American Business Forum. “These are things you have to talk about. It doesn’t just happen. It’s wonderful to do them, but if people don’t talk about them, then you can do not so well in elections.”
“Affordability is our goal,” Trump also wrote on Truth Social.
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