“Affordability” has fast become the political buzzword of the 2026 midterms. Democrats and their Leftmedia propagandists have latched onto this as a potentially winning issue, if they can frame it as caused by Donald Trump’s policies — namely his imposition of tariffs and Republican complicity.

Never mind the fact that it was thanks to Joe Biden and the Democrats that Americans find themselves in today’s “affordability” mess. But, as is the case with politics, reality and a winning campaign narrative are not often aligned.

Given this problem, how can Republicans hope to maintain control of Congress in the 2026 midterms?

Well, a winning strategy may be to hit Democrats where they are weakest: on taxes.

Committee to Unleash Prosperity cofounder Steve Moore sees property tax relief as a winning issue for Republicans in the midterms. While Democrats are molding their campaign strategy on “affordability” as the key issue, their problem will be the “solutions” they offer, as they predictably consist of pushing for more big government that amounts to little more than socialism repackaged. The “warmth of collectivism,” as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it last week.

As Americans struggle to recover from the COVID pandemic and Bidenflation still takes a considerable chunk out of their bank accounts, the nation has yet to experience the roaring economy that Trump promised he’d bring about, as he did during his first term.

In the run-up to his second election victory, Trump highlighted the economy as a major campaign issue. However, nearly a year after Trump took up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, the economic rebound has not arrived as quickly as many anticipated. Thus, Trump’s message has become one of positive assurance and patience, as he encourages Americans that massive economic growth is on the way.

While this messaging is indeed likely accurate, the trouble is that if Americans don’t see a roaring economy soon, it will damage Republicans’ election chances.

Here’s where state and local issues — especially on affordability — can actually be a winning factor for Republicans. When it comes to government and the economy, taxes are a bane for almost every American.

Furthermore, given the recent examples of massive fraud associated with various government welfare programs — the Minnesota Somali scandal is a prime example — tax increases are the last thing voters want politicians to promote.

The most identifiable element of the affordability issue is housing costs. With the prices of homes having skyrocketed over the last six years, homeownership — a cornerstone of the American Dream — is seemingly out of reach for younger Americans. Democrats have seized on this, offering “solutions” such as rent controls and “tax the rich” talking points.

But here is where Republicans can counter and offer a winning message, both to those seeking a home and to the 65% of Americans who already own one. That message is property tax relief. If rent is too high, then even more so are property taxes, arguably the most immoral of all taxes.

Promoting property tax relief, whether by shrinking rates or eliminating the tax entirely, is a winning, positive, and growing issue, even in blue states. For example, just last month, residents in Austin, Texas — a notoriously blue region in the state — voted down a proposal brought by the city’s Democrat mayor and council to increase property taxes. Roughly 63% voted against the proposal.

Furthermore, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott is pushing for a 3% annual cap on how fast a home’s tax assessment can rise. In Florida, GOP Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for significant limits on property taxes, including their elimination.

In his New York gubernatorial race, Republican Bruce Blakeman sees property tax relief as a key campaign issue, and his record of keeping property taxes in check in Nassau County kept him popular even in the heavily Democrat region. Meanwhile, homeowners in neighboring Connecticut have seen home values increase by 60% over the last five years, creating a growing issue of the tax rate making homes unaffordable.

Republicans across the country need to embrace their historic low-tax position and specifically target the problem of unaffordable property taxes that are robbing Americans of their homes.