10/17/2026
Well, Minnesota Democrats had to find something to distract voters. Why not go straight to the pocketbook?
“I, [fill in the blank], am running to lower prices and make life more affordable,” Minnesota DFL candidates repeat relentlessly in their campaign ads.
There should be a disclosure accompanying those claims: “I recognize that inflation surged over a three-year period beginning in 2021, when Democrats controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress.”
Of course, don't expect to hear that admission from Minnesota Democrats. Nor will many of these candidates explain how they intend to lower costs when they have no direct control over interest rates, inflation, or the broader economic forces affecting household budgets.
More importantly, where is their plan to address the economic damage and affordability challenges that emerged during the Biden years?
Minnesota's DFL had other choices. Instead of adding to the financial burden on families and businesses, state leaders could have exercised restraint rather than spending down a massive budget surplus while imposing billions of dollars in new taxes.
Consider just some of the Trifecta's concerns about affordability: a gas tax indexed to inflation, exorbitant vehicle tab fees, and an additional 1% sales tax in the seven-county metro area. Add to this failures to reduce administrative burdens, regulatory requirements, and compliance costs that drive up expenses for businesses and consumers alike.
Public safety matters, too. A greater commitment to addressing crime could help reduce the financial burden that crime places on Minnesotans, including costs passed along to consumers through insurance premiums.
And what about the billions of dollars in taxpayer money lost to fraud? How can any DFL politicians credibly talk about affordability while failing to protect public funds? Those losses have real consequences for taxpayers, even as a few individuals allegedly responsible have walked away with millions.
Of course, price is only one part of affordability. People also need good jobs, competitive wages, and opportunities for pay increases to keep pace with the cost of living. A healthy economy creates those opportunities. So how has Minnesota performed?
According to economic figures cited from the Minnesota Chamber, the following rankings cover the period from 2019 through 2024:
• GDP growth: 40th nationally, with a growth rate of 1.6%, down from a historical ranking of 13th.
• Job growth: 31st nationally, with growth of 1.4%, roughly in line with a historical ranking of 30th.
• Labor force growth: 40th nationally.
• Real median household income growth: 46th nationally.
These figures raise serious questions about Minnesota's economic direction. When a state's economic growth, job creation, labor force expansion, and inflation-adjusted household incomes lag behind much of the country, residents have every reason to demand a different direction.
Under the DFL's leadership, Minnesota has pursued an expanded role for government while facing persistent questions about spending priorities, oversight of taxpayer dollars, and the state's commitment to fostering private-sector growth.
Yet DFL candidates continue to lean on familiar affordability rhetoric. Beyond calls for government intervention and the redistribution of resources, where are the concrete proposals to reduce the underlying costs of living and doing business in Minnesota?
Lowering costs requires more than campaign slogans. It requires disciplined spending, responsible tax policy, effective oversight, safer communities, and an economic climate that encourages investment, job creation, and wage growth.
Minnesota's population trends raise additional questions. The state reportedly experienced a net migration loss of 47,900 residents from 2020 through 2024.
Minnesotans deserve a state that makes it easier—not harder—to build a future, grow a business, raise a family, and earn a living.
It's time to get Minnesota back on track.
Affordability is more than a campaign slogan. It's an economic outcome. And Minnesota voters deserve to know how candidates intend to deliver it.
Minnesota's DFL has had more than ample opportunities, reject their emotional appeals.
And vote Republican up and down the ballot.
