IN THE STATES: Another Strong Dem Election Performance Leads to More GOP Panic, Trump’s Failed Policies Continue to Bring Higher Costs and Layoffs Arrow

On Tuesday, Tennesseans in the 7th Congressional District delivered another referendum on Donald Trump's agenda that we've seen time and time again this year. Despite Republicans pouring more than $4 million to protect a Trump +22 district, Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn overperformed Tuesday's special election by 13 points, delivering the best Democratic performance in the district in years. This overperformance has sent shivers down the spine of Republicans, as over 40 Republican-held seats are within 13 points.

• In Tennessee: New York Magazine: Tennessee Special Election Is Another Ominous Sign for Republicans
• In Tennessee: Politico: Despite loss, Democrats overperformed in bright red Tennessee House race
• In Tennessee: Fox News: Why 2026 should terrify Republicans after Tennessee special election
• In Tennessee: TIME: Double-Digit Swing in Tennessee Has Republicans Rethinking How Badly 2026 Could Hurt
• In Tennessee: The Hill: Tennessee special election outcome puts GOP on notice
• In Tennessee: Newsweek: Tennessee Election Result Is a Fire Alarm for Republicans | Perspective
• In Tennessee: USA Today: Is a blue wave headed for Trump, GOP? Tennessee sends 'warning signs'
• In Tennessee: Bloomberg: Another Warning Sign for the GOP: This Tennessee House Race
• In Tennessee: Roll Call: Democrats see Tennessee special election as sign of expanding 2026 map

This holiday season, working families across the country are tightening their pocketbooks as a result of Trump's failed economic and trade policies. According to new state-level data released by the Democratic members of the Joint Economic Committee, American families have shelled out $700 more on everyday items since Trump took office. The contrast is clear: While Trump focuses on his Gilded ballrooms and enriching billionaires, working families are seeing their cost of living skyrocket - from the grocery store to the electricity bill.

• In California: Politico: California Playbook: Rob Bonta's explanation game
• In Colorado: Colorado Politics: Trump economic policies cost Colorado households more than $1,000 on average, national Democrats say
• In Montana: Heartland Signal: Report: Montana seeing some of the biggest increased costs under Trump tariffs
• In Nevada: Reno Gazette Journal: Nevadans paying $941 more in 2025 than last year, economic report says
• In Utah: Deseret News: What this year's Thanksgiving prices look like - and what politicians have to say about it
• In Washington: The Olympian: WA residents paying nearly $1,000 more due to Trump economic policies, DNC says

This week, Trump's Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins threatened to withhold SNAP benefits funding from blue states ahead of the holidays, jeopardizing nutrition assistance for millions of hungry kids and families. Trump's attacks on working families are cruel and inhumane - from his Big Ugly Bill that made the largest cut to food assistance in history, to now threatening to let millions of families go hungry during the holiday season.

• Nationwide: Mother Jones: USDA to Blue States: Hand Over Personal Data or Lose SNAP Funding
• Nationwide: HuffPost: Trump Administration Says It Will Punish Blue States Over SNAP Data
• Nationwide: Associated Press: Trump administration threatens to withhold SNAP management funds from states that don't share data
• In Minnesota: Minnesota Star Tribune: Trump administration to withhold some SNAP funding until Minnesota turns over data
• In Oregon: The Oregonian: 'Unlawful and heartless': What Trump's threat to cut off SNAP money could mean for blue states
• In Wisconsin: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Trump administration threatens to withhold funds to run SNAP in Wisconsin, other states

Finally, this week, new data underscores how Trump continues to bleed U.S. jobs, erode our economy, and push us toward the brink of a recession with his disastrous economic agenda. This month alone, U.S. employers announced 71,000 job cuts - the most since the pandemic, bringing the total number to nearly 1.2 million in just 2025. Meanwhile, working families and farmers continue to struggle to make ends meet as a result of mass layoffs caused by Trump's chaotic trade war.

• Nationwide: NBC News: Layoff announcements just hit the highest level since the pandemic
• Nationwide: Common Dreams: In Trump Economy, Holiday Spending Plans Plummet and Layoffs Hit Highest Level Since Covid Pandemic
• Nationwide New Republic: Layoffs Hit Highest Since Covid-19 Even as Trump Brags About Economy
• In Nebraska: Wall Street Journal: Tyson to Close One of the Biggest Beef-Processing Plants in the U.S.
• In Texas: MySA: Mass layoffs hit 2,500 Texans during the holiday season

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