Want to keep winning, Republicans? Culture wars worked, now tackle affordability | Opinion
I’m pretty sure when DJ Khaled picked a title for his song “All I do is win,” he was thinking about Florida Republicans.
Republicans have been focused for the last few years on their not-so-secret sauce for success: fight culture wars and manufacture crises. That meant everything from banning books to cracking down on abortion and outlawing transgender bathrooms, nationally but especially in Florida. As a result, Republicans have shaped the Sunshine State both politically and culturally, cementing the state as a GOP stronghold.
That recipe for voter turnout is still working, but there’s a real and growing crisis bigger than any culture issue: affordability. Roughly half of Florida households are financially strained, or what the United Way refers to as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These individuals have a steady job and earn too much to be eligible for government assistance.
Issues such as cost of living, insurance premiums, housing costs and inflation are all on the minds of Floridians every single day. As the Miami Herald reported, over half of Florida renters spend at least 30% of their income on housing.
If Republicans want to keep winning, they need to focus on the cost of living. One upon a time, the battle cry for candidates during elections was “jobs, jobs, jobs.” But Florida’s unemployment rate is low. These days, people can’t afford to live. Inflation is creeping up, straining purchasing powers, and expenses such as childcare and food have easily outpaced wage growth. It is troubling what I spend each week on groceries for myself. I can’t imagine what it costs to feed a family of four.
Until this month, consumer confidence was second lowest since 1952. It’s up now, but before you break out the confetti, this is the first time in 2025 that confidence has improved.
Both the governor and the Legislature recognize there’s a problem and have suggested ways to tackle it. Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to eliminate property taxes — which some think is a risky proposition. The Legislature, in response, has tasked the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to study property tax changes. And Speaker Daniel Perez, who is from Miami, proposed reducing the state sales tax from 6% to 5.25%, which would save Florida taxpayers nearly $5 billion annually.
Neither a property tax or sales tax cut were included in the state budget that lawmakers approved late Monday. What is included: a series of sales tax exemptions, such as extending the back-to-school sales tax holiday for an entire month, which for families could provide some relief. The governor must still sign the budget and exercise his line item veto.
But these are only starting points. In the 2026 governor’s race, affordability should be at the forefront.
Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Southwest Florida congressman running for governor with Trump’s endorsement, is at least giving the idea a nod: “Florida must continue to lead the way in education reform, economic opportunity, lowering costs for families, protecting public safety and in defending our God-given rights and freedoms,” Donalds said in a prepared statement in February.
Former Republican Congressman David Jolly, now running as a Democrat for governor, has made affordability a central message of his campaign. Jolly told Axios, he would appeal to Democratic voters by coalescing “around an agenda that addresses the affordability crisis for everyone.”
What each of these candidates needs to remember is that affordability affects everyone, regardless of party affiliation. And that means it also creates an opportunity for whichever party offers tangible solutions.
Affordability isn’t sexy. It doesn’t play well on the outrage meter the way culture wars do, but for Floridians who are struggling to make ends meet, affordability matters more than book bans or pronouns.
Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@miamiherald.com