The midterm elections have been described as a “blue tsunami” with Democrats winning by overwhelming majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.  I don’t think it was a huge surprise to most pundits or the electorate, but I do admit while I stated in a previous article that I did think both houses of Congress would turn blue after November 3^rd, I am surprised by this huge and decisive Democratic victory in the U.S. Congress. 

Yes, President Trump’s favorability has been very low for some time now, but the truth is that the public has not been enamored with the Democratic Party either.  As we saw when President Trump won in 2024, the primary issue for the American people was affordability and it continues as the main concern for the voters.  The Republicans have not properly addressed the issue and many (including myself) feel that Trump administration policies and actions have led to continued high costs and,  in some cases, higher costs for families and small businesses.  My preface here is that there are some valid points or intentions with many of the Trump administration policies.  We did need to look at our trading relationships, which is too one-sided with China, but having a trade war with allies, such as Canada, made no sense. 

The Republicans have to re-examine the relatively quick loss of those Hispanic Americans, young men and men of color who supported President Trump in 2024, but who voted emphatically for Democrats a mere two years later (Sanders, Lodhi and Thomas-Deveaux) (“In Shift From 2024, Young Men”).  The main issue that led to these demographic shifts was, of course, affordability.  Whether it was the loss of Affordable Care Act subsidy tax credits to assist with the cost of health insurance after 2025 (Bonavitacola), cuts to Medicaid, tariffs that led to increases in prices for certain products or, what I believe was the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” higher gas prices with the war in Iran, the American public had enough of Republican leadership on the economy.  Thus, just as Americans had enough of the very high rise in prices under the Biden administration in which not enough was done to alleviate the crisis, President Trump made the very same mistake by not acknowledging there even was an issue with affordability.  In addition, it was simply bad politics for the Republicans to support an immigration policy that was so aggressive (both policy-wise and on the ground) that the party basically alienated those Hispanic Americans who helped elect President Trump in 2024. 

The Trump administration has done a great job of securing our border which President Biden failed at completely during his first two years in office.  All the current executive administration had to do after securing the border was to primarily focus on those dangerous illegal alien criminals who needed to be sent home.  The heavy-handed approach with unauthorized immigrants who have been here for some time and are contributing to our society, resulted in the Latino population overwhelmingly voting for Democrats (Harrison) on November 3rd.  America saw a Trump administration that was inhumane to many unauthorized immigrants who are here providing core services, such as in construction or agriculture.  We certainly need immigration reform and unauthorized individuals should not be used as a way for businesses to avoid paying Americans fair wages, but this wasn’t the appropriate manner to address the issue.  The Trump administration’s hardcore immigration policy was a political blunder in its relationship with the Hispanic American community.  Republicans lost support from Latinos in 2026 who helped President Trump win the White House in 2024 (Harrison) .  This misstep was almost as bad as Hillary Clinton in 2016 not picking Bernie Sanders as her running mate, which I contend would have unified the party – instead President Trump achieved his surprise victory.   

What I would say to disappointed Republicans is that the pressure is very much on the Democrats during the next two years.  My advice to the Democrats who now control both houses of Congress (beginning in January) is to focus on finding ways to reduce costs for the American consumer.  The Democrats will not have a supermajority to override a presidential veto, so they need to collaborate with both Republican members of Congress and, yes, the Trump administration.  I would encourage the Democrats not to dig their heels in on hearings and impeachments, some of which may very well be justified, but the first priority is to give collaboration with Republicans and the Trump White House a chance.  Democrats and Republicans need to work together to find ways to effectively address the high cost of living for Americans.  We are already hearing from Democrats who want to impeach U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. and even President Trump.  I would caution that while the American people are concerned with corruption in Washington, this approach may very well backfire on Democrats just in time for the 2028 presidential race. 

During the next few years and as we approach the 2028 election, in which we will elect a post-Trump era president, the party who focuses on the everyday economic and social concerns of the American people will be at an advantage.  We need new solutions.  For example, I’d like to see Big Oil companies give back  after they have made so much in profits at the expense of the American consumer during the war with Iran.  I am absolutely a capitalist, but these oil companies get tax breaks, etc.  Why can’t we have a fuel relief fund supported by Big Oil to help working Americans, many of whom are struggling these days to afford the basics?  We have to think out of the box and we can’t complain about welfare for individuals if we aren’t going to acknowledge the welfare for the rich, which comes in the form of tax breaks and other incentives (many of which as a pro-business individual I support).    

Also, I implore the Democratic Party not to embrace the Democratic Socialist movement.  The Democrats will control the U.S. Senate in 2027 due to moderate Democrats winning in places, such as North Carolina (Roy Cooper), South Carolina (Annie Andrews) and Mississippi (Scott Colom).  I believe Americans want reasonable, moderate and sensible solutions, not extremism.  If Democrats move too far in the direction of Democratic Socialism, they may find themselves losing lifelong Democrats to the Republican Party. 

The immediate call by the voters of all parties is for our leaders to work toward creating an economy that moves the vast majority of Americans out of financial strain and struggle.  Americans are demanding the creation of a new reality of economic and social stability in which individuals, families and communities thrive, not just barely survive.  Democratic leaders have an opportunity here.  My final advice to the new Democratic Congress – don’t blow it. 

Works Cited

·       Bonavitacola, Julia. "FAQs About Expiration of Enhanced Subsidies Under the Affordable Care Act."

·       AJMC, MJH Life Sciences, 16 Apr. 2026, www.ajmc.com/view/faqs-about-expiration-of-enhanced-subsidies-under-the-affordable-care-act

·       Harrison, Chase. "How Latinos Voted in the 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections." Americas Society/Council of the Americas, 4 Nov. 2026, www.as-coa.org/articles/how-latinos-voted-2026-us-midterm-elections.

·       "In Shift From 2024, Young Men, White Youth, and Non-College Youth Vote Democratic in 2026." CIRCLE,

·       Tufts University, 4 Nov. 2026, circle.tufts.edu/youth-vote-choice-demographics-2026-midterms.

·       Sanders, Lodhi and Thomas-Deveaux. "Young Voters Led a Sharp Shift toward Democrats in the 2026

·       Midterms, The AP Voter Poll Finds." The Associated Press, 4 Nov. 2026, www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2026/young-voters-led-a-sharp-shift-toward-democrats-in-the-2026-midterms-the-ap-voter-poll-finds/