OPINION:
Voters are upset. Even though median household income is up and poverty levels are down, consumer confidence fell in September to the lowest level since 2014.
A recent poll notes that nearly 78% of Americans assign at least some responsibility to the president and his administration for rising prices.
At the same time, many of these voters are unhappy with just about everyone in office. Another recent poll shows that approval of Congress is around 22%. That is barely above the approval ratings Americans give family and friends. Only 28% approve of the job their own member of Congress is doing, a reversal of past trends in which voters hated Congress but often liked their own representative.
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Another interesting insight from recent research is that independent voters are upset with both parties. According to a Change Research Compass Poll, 78% of independents view Democrats unfavorably, while 73% view Republicans unfavorably.
They are angry that both parties seem more interested in exploiting cultural issues than in solving problems.
It is a great reminder to every conservative running this fall to focus on cost of living, cost of living and cost of living. Someone with a real plan to drive down costs can make real inroads with voters.
The radical policies of the left, meanwhile, will drive up costs. In Wisconsin, Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor, is doing a very effective job of spelling out his plan to drive down housing and healthcare costs, stop the 400-year property tax increase and push a middle-class tax cut.
Mr. Tiffany contrasts his plans with his opponent’s record. The Tiffany campaign points out that Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has supported tax increases in every annual county budget during his tenure as county leader. The gubernatorial race in my state is largely devoid of controversial cultural issues.
The one area in which the Tiffany camp strays from the direct cost issue is a new campaign ad. In it, Mr. Tiffany uses Mr. Crowley’s own words to make his point: The county executive previously said that he would be an “accomplice” for illegal immigrants and would not cooperate with federal agents on immigration issues.
At a time when we read story after story about people coming to America illegally to receive plush benefits while hardworking taxpayers foot the bill, ads such as this tap into a powerful fiscal issue. Voters rightly ask why they should get stuck covering these costs when it is getting harder to cover their own.
Although voters are angry at the White House, they are also angry at state leaders. Republican candidates are faring better in Democratic-led states; the opposite is true in Republican-led states.
Conservatives have a real shot in states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and even Oregon. Conversely, Democrats are doing better than expected in places such as Ohio, Iowa and Texas.
Minnesota is one of the states that has trended blue but could go red this November. The issue that could do it: fraud.
I was the featured speaker at a major event in the Twin Cities last week. Before the dinner, I spoke with a state senator, who had been knocking on doors that day. Time and time again, voters she met brought up fraud before she could even start her pitch. Fraud is likely to give a 5-to-6-percentage-point bump to Republican candidates in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Oregon is another interesting state. Gov. Tina Kotek is running again against Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan. The 2022 race was very close, with an independent candidate mounting a strong challenge.
According to recent statewide polling by DHM Research, nearly 60% of respondents believe Oregon is heading in the wrong direction, with a similar percentage holding a negative view of Ms. Kotek. That explains why most recent polls show a highly competitive race, even though Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by more than 14 percentage points in 2024.
Oregon is a deep-blue state that just might elect a Republican governor — another reminder that voters are fed up with the people in charge.
Conservative challengers or candidates in open seats in states where the governor is a Democrat should keep up the pressure. Continue to blame the party in power for high costs and counter with a plan to make living affordable. Doing that could help salvage the midterm elections for Republicans.
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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