by President Trump was not on the ballot– not that it seems it would have made much of a difference. One of the big things that isn’t getting through to the Republican party is that costs have not really gone down. The average American still feels like things cost too much.
That, and the quality of the candidates.
It doesn’t look good for the Republicans in 2026. While President Trump may feel like he is doing good for the nation, people want to see how it is affecting them individually. Even though he has only been in office nine months, he owns the affordability of things now.
Democrats roared back in the 2025 off-year elections, and that’s no surprise given widespread voter discontent with the economy and the political system in general. Democratic-leaning areas that flipped to Republicans in 2024 returned to the party this year.
Part of the lesson is that moderate female candidates do well with swing voters, and Democrats certainly had two strong contenders in Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger and New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill. Both have military experience, and neither is anywhere close to being a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
President Donald Trump was not on the ballot, but Republicans inherited a difficult situation from the Biden administration. Most voters believe the economy remains weak and that they are stuck in an inflationary spiral — one that may be lower than it was under Biden but still remains their top concern.
Source: MARK PENN: Democrats roar back in 2025 elections with Spanberger, Sherrill, Mamdani wins | Fox News
