Seven Candidates Pitch Plans on Groceries, Gas and Rent Ahead of 2026 Vote

Candidates in seven states are pitching plans to cut costs for families.

A poll released this month by health policy nonprofit KFF found 62% of voters say the cost of living is the top issue they want to hear about from candidates. Health care, gas and other transportation costs rank among their top concerns.

Roy Cooper, a former North Carolina governor running for U.S. Senate, says tariffs are driving up prices for groceries, housing, health care, child care and utilities. He would block anti-competitive mergers, ban algorithmic pricing, restore coverage lost under ACA and Medicaid cuts, and negotiate drug costs through Medicare. He also proposes making data centers pay full power costs, banning utility shutoffs during extreme weather, expanding the child care tax credit, and barring corporate and foreign buyers from purchasing single-family homes.

In New Mexico, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland blames corporations and the Trump administration's tariffs for costs rising faster than wages. Her plan waives permit fees for grocery stores in food deserts, speeds up housing approvals, bans AI-driven rent fixing, expands renewable energy, adjusts the minimum wage annually for inflation, and expands the Child Tax Credit.

Republican Bruce Blakeman, running for New York governor, points to high taxes and state energy policies. He pledges to lower taxes and cut utility bills "in half," though he does not describe how the utility cuts would work. He also proposes expanding domestic energy production, including lifting New York's ban on fracking.

In South Carolina, Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews says tariffs have pushed grocery prices up. She would suspend federal gas and diesel taxes, cut energy and grocery bills, expand housing access, let local communities block data center development, and fund a federal apprenticeship program to grow the child care workforce.

Texas offers two competing Senate pitches. Democrat James Talarico frames high costs as part of a "corruption crisis" driven by billionaire influence. He would raise the minimum wage, expand overtime pay, cancel medical debt, offer universal child care and paid family leave, repeal tax breaks for the top 1%, and redirect that money to a cost-of-living tax cut. He also backs repealing tax breaks for data centers and suspending the federal gas tax. Republican Ken Paxton blames corporate price-gouging and government spending. He proposes federal tax deductions for out-of-pocket medical expenses and first-time homebuyers, including a $50,000 deduction for home purchases, a doubled child tax credit, and a $5,000 deduction for healthy-lifestyle expenses such as gym memberships.

California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and U.S. health and human services secretary, says corporations take advantage of weak competition and price-gouging while families face high housing, health care, gas and grocery costs. He would freeze utility rates and home insurance premiums, crack down on price gouging, expand child care support, and declare a housing state of emergency to cut permitting delays. He has also branded himself the "health care governor" and pledged to cover all Californians.

Voters can find ballot information through their state or local election office, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Can I Vote, or VOTE411 from the League of Women Voters.