The Democratic Party has long been emphasizing affordability as a key issue in its strategy for the 2026 midterms, with the party's focus on providing basic necessities of life, work, housing, healthcare, education, food and retirement. However, the party lost its focus on these issues in the early 2000s when it lost several consecutive House election cycles. This strategy was successful in 1994, when Republicans took control of Congress for the first time in four decades, reframing Democrats as the party of “tax-and-spend liberals” and winning the House of Representatives for 66 years. Richard Yanowitch, a brand strategist and entrepreneur, argues that the party should focus on affordability and not reinventing the American economy. The task now is to strengthen these foundations.