“Affordability, Affordability, Affordability”: Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger Ran and Won on the Economy

"Affordability, Affordability, Affordability": Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger Ran and Won on the Economy

After Tuesday's historic landslide victories for Governors-elect Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, there's one word that explains what they ran on and what voters cast their ballots over: affordability.

With cost-of-living concerns top-of-mind for Americans nationwide, Sherrill and Spanberger were laser-focused on affordability, releasing their Affordability Agenda and Affordable Virginia Plan, respectively, as they ran on platforms centered around bringing down the costs of health care, housing, and energy costs.

Read more below:

Politico, 11/05/2025: Affordability, affordability, affordability: Democrats' new winning formula

• Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger found a shared language that aims at the heart of President Donald Trump's populism: the high cost of everyday life.

Fox, 11/06/2025: Election reflection: 'Democrats flipped the script' on affordability in ballot box showdowns

• Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper said that Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, the two Democratic gubernatorial nominees that overperformed the public opinion polls as they cruised to Election Night victories in the blue-leaning states, "stayed laser focused on the economy," and "talked about it all day, every day."

NBC, 11/05/2025: Takeaways from the 2025 elections: Trump looms over every race, while Democrats win on the economy

• Spanberger, Sherrill […] were all rewarded for making affordability and economic issues the center of the campaigns. Their victories came as voters have expressed deep dissatisfaction with Trump's handling of the economy, as outlined in the new NBC News poll released Sunday.

Politico, 11/05/2025: Democrats show early signs of winning energy messaging war

• Abigail Spanberger and Rep. Mikie Sherrill both made affordability concerns and skyrocketing electricity bills central to their campaigns.

CNN, 11/06/2025: Why the blue wave? It is, of course, the economy, stupid

• Democrats trounced Republicans on Tuesday in three key races with little in common apart from one issue - affordability.

Fox, 11/06/2025: Economic anxiety keys Dem sweep in high-stakes races as left leverages voter frustration

• In New Jersey, voters reported that the state's notoriously high taxes and the economy were their top issues heading into the polling stations, according to Fox News Voter Poll data. In Virginia, half of voters reported that the economy was their top issue, more than double the number who reported healthcare as their top concern, according to Fox polling data.

ABC, 11/05/2025: How the economy flipped from a red to blue issue, according to exit polls

• Despite varied biographies, top-of-the-ballot Democrats across New Jersey, Virginia and New York City each prevailed in contests before electorates who ranked the economy or cost of living as a top issue, according to exit polls conducted by ABC News.

CNN, 11/05/2025: Spanberger and Sherrill were roommates on Capitol Hill. They're now making history in their states

• Spanberger and Sherrill's victories offer at least one path forward for Democrats. Both ran aggressively on affordability issues and promises to lower health care, housing and utility costs.

Washington Post Early Brief, 11/05/2025: 'It's affordability, stupid'

• The candidates' focus on affordability could provide a road map for a range of Democratic candidates in next year's key races.

E&E News, 11/06/2025: Democrats eye energy message to spark midterm victories

• Both Spanberger and Sherrill made electricity prices a major focus of their campaigns, as both states saw double-digital percentage growth in costs.

Politico, 11/05/2025: Democrats didn't just rebound. They dominated.

• Spanberger's and Sherrill's messaging on the stagnant economy and affordability crisis helped their party bounce back in its first political test of the second Trump era - and by margins that even surprised some Democrats.

Newsweek, 11/05/2025: Democrats Just Flipped the Script on Donald Trump and Republicans

• Spanberger focused on issues such as the Trump administration's federal layoffs, which may have been particularly salient in the state's Washington, D.C., suburbs that are home to many federal workers. Sherrill emphasized issues including housing and energy costs, which loomed over the New Jersey gubernatorial race.

National News Desk, 11/05/2025: Centrist Democrats romp GOP opponents in governor races focused on cost of living

• Governors-elect Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Mikie Sherill in New Jersey ran campaigns focused on rebutting President Donald Trump and dealing with the cost of living, jumping on two of the most potent issues in the off-year races.

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