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<\/figure>\n\nDemocrats and Republicans have just 99 days left to convince you to vote for their candidates in the Nov. 3 <\/b>midterm elections. On Sunday, party leaders previewed their messaging strategies to do just that \u2014 Democrats are hammering affordability, while Republicans are running on Trump.<\/p>\n
In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries<\/b> (D-New York) rallied with Gov. Josh Shapiro<\/b> (D) and Bob Brooks<\/b> \u2014 the Democratic House nominee in Pennsylvania\u2019s 7th Congressional District \u2014 at an event marking 100 days out from the midterms, and revealed the Democrats\u2019 new campaign tagline: \u201cFighting for an affordable America.\u201d<\/p>\n
Affordability is top of mind for voters this cycle \u2014 54 percent of respondents to a Post-Ipsos poll<\/a> said the economy and prices were the most important issue of the midterms \u2014 and Democrats are hoping it will be what breaks apart the coalition that delivered the White House and control of both chambers of Congress to Trump and Republicans in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to live a middle-class life, a comfortable life, an affordable life, live a good life,\u201d Jeffries said. \u201cEveryday Americans are drowning in the Republican economy.\u201d<\/p>\n The rally in Bethlehem also showcased Democrats\u2019 other major strategy to dismantle that coalition: running candidates with working-class bona fides.<\/p>\n As Dan reported earlier this month<\/a>, the Democratic Party prioritized recruiting candidates with working-class backgrounds for elections up and down the ballot. Brooks, with his past as a firefighter and a union leader, is precisely the type of candidate Democrats hope will attract voters who may have been turned off by the Democratic Party in the last few election cycles. (He has also served as an example of how less polished \u201csalt-of-the-earth\u201d candidates can come with some baggage<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Brooks delivered a speech Sunday focusing on how his background makes him well suited to represent the blue-collar voters of Pennsylvania\u2019s 7th district, saying that he has spent time on food stamps, lived in public housing and struggled to make medical bill payments.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s time that we had somebody representing the Lehigh Valley in Congress who actually understands the challenges working people are facing,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cI understand them, because I\u2019ve lived them.\u201d<\/p>\n Republicans\u2019 midterm messaging is more complicated. Trump is determined to make alleged election fraud a top issue this cycle, not a very popular move<\/a> among Republican politicians. The Iran war remains unpopular among voters<\/a>, and its economic impact \u2014 oil prices are up once again<\/a> as the conflict heats back up \u2014 makes it difficult to tout what Republicans see as their biggest economic wins.<\/p>\n Responding to voter concerns without earning Trump\u2019s ire by running against his policies has put Republican candidates between a rock and a hard place. But GOP leaders have made it clear that between those two tough options, they\u2019re picking Trump.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the resources, the candidates, and the best messenger in the history of our party \u2014 President Donald J. Trump<\/b>,\u201d Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters<\/b> said in a statement.<\/p>\n Republicans lost their House majority in 2018 partially due to low turnout from Trump supporters<\/a>. Some in the party hope they can avoid a repeat of that by keeping the spotlight squarely on Trump. To that end, Republicans are also holding a first-of-its-kind midterm national convention<\/a> in September, with Trump front and center.<\/p>\n It\u2019s rare for the party that holds the White House to perform strongly in the midterms \u2014 something even Gruters acknowledged in his statement \u2014 and Democrats are currently polling 3 percentage points ahead<\/a> of Republicans among registered voters. And Republicans have a new voter phenomenon they\u2019re worrying about \u2014 read on to \u201cWhat We\u2019re Watching\u201d to learn more.<\/p>\n Motivation may be the biggest issue facing Republicans this year.<\/p>\n Our colleagues Liz Goodwin <\/b>and Ben Binday<\/b> published a great piece over the weekend<\/a> about how alarm bells are going off in Republican offices nationwide because of the party\u2019s \u201clistless and demotivated base ahead of November\u2019s midterm elections.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA raft of discouraging data from polling, door knocking and focus groups is unsettling Republicans as their party heads into a midterm election season that would be challenging no matter what, given President Donald Trump\u2019s low standing in polls and the fact that the party in control in Washington almost always loses seats,\u201d the duo write.<\/p> Read more Trump administration reviewing ICE vetting process after Maine shooting<\/a><\/p>\n This is a massive issue for Republicans. Over the past decade, the party has observed that voter motivation often falls off a cliff in non-presidential years, with the thinking that Trump supporters will show up at the polls for the Republican leader, but not necessarily the people he endorses.<\/p>\n We highlighted this problem<\/a> in our piece a few weeks ago when Trump used a prime-time presidential address to resurface some of his long-simmering complaints about the 2020 election. To many Republicans, the speech made no sense when the main issues of the election are all economic. But Jesse Hunt<\/b>, a longtime operative, raised the possibility that the speech was aimed at reenergizing Trump\u2019s less-than-motivated base.<\/p>\n \u201cTrump voters not backing down-ballot candidates or feeling motivated to show up is a very big issue,\u201d Hunt said.<\/p>\n Americans for Prosperity Action, a conservative super PAC that was founded by billionaire Charles Koch<\/b>, has found that issue is even more pervasive than many would have believed. According to Nathan Nascimento<\/b>, executive director at AFP Action, \u201cabout 1 in 5 reliable Republican base voters are at risk this November,\u201d with voters in Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina, Montana, New Hampshire and Michigan either saying they may stay home or are weighing voting for Democrats, according to their data.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a big chunk,\u201d Nascimento said. \u201cThis is a scary number.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, Republicans will need to figure out how to win over the political middle over the next few months. But this piece highlights the importance to Trump and Republicans of keeping core voters excited.<\/p>\n Boston Globe:<\/b> Massachusetts has a reputation as a deep blue state. But the southeastern part of the state is turning into a Republican hotbed<\/a>.<\/p>\n Miami Herald:<\/b> A Venezuelan man who served as a confidential informant for U.S. federal agents says the U.S. government failed to deliver on promises of green cards for his family<\/a> after he helped build a massive money-laundering case.<\/p>\n Chicago Tribune:<\/b> The wildfire smoke that swept across the nation has now left most areas in the United States. But poor air quality remains an issue for some in Chicago<\/a>.<\/p>\n There were a wide array of reactions to our question about shrinking inheritances because of the rising costs of elder care.<\/p>\n \u201cThis does not worry me. The senior cohort is the wealthiest group in the country, and wealthier than it has ever been. No one is entitled to an inheritance; no one is entitled to a retirement,\u201d wrote Chris Hesse<\/b>. \u201cPerhaps if people were more cautious with their spending and started saving for retirement, rather than relying on government (i.e., the rest of us), there would not be so much of a concern.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy husband and I invested in real estate while working,\u201d said Katherine Morehouse<\/b>. \u201cThe return on this investment has increased with inflation. This strategy, along with gold-plated health coverage, has kept us comfortable in retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n And Ed von Leffern <\/b>wrote that he and his wife \u201cthoroughly disagree with the assumption that seniors wealth is evaporating based on our cash flow and those of all our upper middle class friends.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll our senior friends own their homes, all have Medicare and most have secondary health insurance,\u201d von Leffern wrote. \u201cThe retail price of our medical care is outrageous, but only pharmacy copays are paid by us.\u201d<\/p>\n Are you seeing a lack of enthusiasm among the Trump voters you speak with? We highlighted this issue in this newsletter, but we would love to hear from our readers \u2014 including those of you who voted for the president in 2024 \u2014 about why these midterms may be difficult for the Republican Party. Is there one issue you think is holding the party back? Let us and your fellow Early Brief readers know at earlytips@washpost.com<\/a>.<\/p> Read more Republicans see \u2018scary\u2019 lack of enthusiasm among core voters ahead of midterms<\/a><\/p>\n