Voters say they're worried about the cost of living, and affordability is a leading issue in 2026 campaigns.
Read full article: VALENTINE’S DAY FORECAST: An update on the chance of stormsRead full article: South Texas firefighters, community mourn unexpected loss of fire investigation pioneer‘Starting over is scary’: Student, parents react to possibility of Judson ISD school closures Read full article: ‘Starting over is scary’: Student, parents react to possibility of Judson ISD school closuresSan Antonio family unveils headstone for loved ones as they seek justice in upcoming homicide trialThis combination of photos shows Rep.
Haley Stevens, D-Mich., Feb. 6, 2025, in Washington, left, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago, center, and Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit on July 28, 2018. Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks during a campaign event on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at Churchill's Food & Spirits in Flint, Mich. Promotional materials on a table during a campaign event for Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at Churchill's Food & Spirits in Flint, Mich. U.S. Senate candidate for Michigan Abdul El-Sayed greets visitors during a town hall, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Lincoln Park, Mich. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, tours a plumbing and pipefitting apprenticeship program workshop at UA Local 85 in Saginaw, Mich., Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. This combination of photos shows Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., Feb. 6, 2025, in Washington, left, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago, center, and Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit on July 28, 2018. fought his way back to the White House in 2024, he capitalized on simmering economic discontent in political battlegrounds such as Michigan. Now Democrats are trying to harness those same concerns, which have lingered as people across the countryThe only question is how to do it. That nationwide challenge is especially urgent in Michigan, where three Democrats are running in the U.S. Senate primary in August.— are making different pitches to voters, and their success or failure will help determine the party's fortunes in the November midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. The party's chances of winning back control of the Senate will become much harder without retaining the seat held by retiring, a former congressman seeking a Senate seat for the second time. In 2024, he lost by 19,000 votes to DemocratWearing a welding helmet and gloves, Stevens moved in close toward flying sparks as a plumbing apprentice showed off his welding technique at a union training workshop in Saginaw. Her suburban Detroit district is part of the automobile hub central to Michigan's economy and workforce. She is building off her relationships with organized labor and campaigning against Trump's tariff strategy, saying the president is hurting the state's manufacturing sector and driving up prices across the board. "He’s been more focused on cutting deals all over the world than cutting deals here in Michigan, and now we have job insecurity and in some cases job loss," Stevens said in an interview. Stevens introduced herself to students at their work stations and asked questions about their projects, such as carefully connecting pipes with tightly fitted grooves as an alternative to welding. At one station, three apprentices showed the congresswoman paper sketches of plumbing construction designs. She told them how important their careers will be as existing infrastructure ages. She promised that she will find the money to hire people to fix it.After the tour, Stevens sat around a table with union leaders. Speaking over whirring machinery, she sympathized with the complexity of providing health care benefits. Justin Pomerville, the business manager at UA Local 85, said that the “far left” and the “far right” are failing to improve things in politics, a complaint that dovetailed with Stevens' efforts to pitch herself as a moderate.A crowd of Democrats recently packed into a dimly lit side room of Churchill's Food & Sprits in downtown Flint. “Jesse's Girl” played over the speakers as McMorrow's team shuffled chairs to squeeze in a few more people before she took to the microphone. The lawmaker has hosted campaign stops at various breweries around the state. Her favorite beer is a blood orange honey ale from the Cheybogan Brewing Co. She got into politics after Trump's victory in 2016, and she was first elected in 2018. McMorrow is in the state Senate's Democratic leadership and has gained national recognition for a few viral moments in recent years, including bringing ato the party's national convention in 2024. She is running with a new motivation this time around for the sake of her 5-year-old daughter.“When something's working, you expand on it," McMorrow said in an interview. “I think there’s a huge opportunity where Michigan has done a lot of things right that we can ensure every American benefits from.”“We need another Debbie Stabenow,” Breasbois said in an interview, referencing Michigan's longtime agriculture champion in the U.S. Senate who retired in early 2025. “Mallory, she's got that spunk.”El-Sayed, a physician and former county health official, delivered a diagnosis for the cost of living problem at a recent town hall: corporate greed. About 100 people turned out at a community college in Detroit in late January on a brutally cold night. El-Sayed, who finished far behind the current governor,, led the crowd in a chant he uses to begin and end his rallies: “Money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all.” El-Sayed has long campaigned for Medicare for all, a slogan that champions universal health care. In recent weeks, he has started adding an asterisk, saying that people should be able to obtain additional coverage from their union or employer. The discussion at the gathering often circled back to the high cost of health care, something he chalks up to corporate entities and their lobbying powers. “In an era where union membership is near an all-time low and in an era where inequality is near an all-time high, we have to recognize that these two things are not a coincidence, they are one in the same problem,” he said from a small stage where campaign staff and volunteers filmed from multiple angles for social media. In an interview, El-Sayed said he has been talking about the cost of living for years, while other candidates, Democrats and Republicans alike, are just now getting on board with the affordability focus. Natasha VanGessel, a medical assistant from Royal Oak who sat in one of the first rows at the town hall, has followed El-Sayed since he ran for governor in 2018 and regularly tunes into his podcast, called America Dissected.Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.VALENTINE’S DAY: Damp & drizzly morning with a few strong afternoon storms possibleSan Antonio surgeon shares his heart attack survival story, encourages others to prioritize healthDeveloper pays City of San Antonio $3.3 million to clear land where endangered species livesMarbach Road safety upgrades planned months after student killed in crashHill Country floods survivor hails ‘amazing’ assistance from relief groupsDowntown exhibit traces San Antonio’s art scene across five decadesSan Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo kicks off ThursdaySan Antonio City Council to discuss options to fight East Side ICE facilityWoman sentenced to 40 years for malnourished children put in makeshift cages;mother defends daughterValentine’s Day flower prices bloom as tariffs impact San Antonio floristsSan Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones could face a censure vote. Does it matter?
Politics Justin Pomerville Gretchen Whitmer Elissa Slotkin Natasha Vangessel Elections Donald Trump Debbie Stabenow Business Gary Peters Mike Rogers Abdul El-Sayed
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