High costs of living continue to plague families across Pennsylvania.
As our Americans for Prosperity-PA team travels across the state talking with voters, this narrative holds true regardless of where we are or who we’re talking to. People feel like the basics of everyday life have become harder to afford, and they’re frustrated because Harrisburg isn’t making life any easier.
Whether it’s groceries, utilities, housing, or health care, families are making tougher decisions every month about how far their paycheck can stretch. Pennsylvanians don’t feel like they’re getting ahead anymore; they feel like they’re just trying to keep up with Harrisburg’s spending problem.
Make no mistake, this is going to be the defining issue as we head into the midterms.
At Americans for Prosperity, we spend a lot of time talking directly with voters. Taxpayers are less interested in political talking points and much more focused on practical outcomes—ones that they can tangibly feel as they’re paying their monthly energy bills or seeking out new housing opportunities. They want to know whether the people they elect to represent them in Harrisburg understand the pressures they’re facing and whether they’re willing to support policies that reduce costs and expand opportunity.
That’s why next Tuesday’s primary election matters.
Primaries don’t always get the same attention as general elections, but they’re incredibly important because they shape the kind of governing majorities we end up with in Harrisburg. The candidates voters choose now will ultimately determine whether Pennsylvania moves toward policies that make life more affordable or continues down a path of higher costs and slower economic growth.
Solving the cost-of-living challenge in Pennsylvania starts with creating policies that allow for families and businesses to succeed. That means taking a serious look at state spending and regulation and making it easier to build and invest. It means supporting energy policies that keep utility costs affordable by allowing us to tap into the commonwealth’s energy abundance. Finally, it means removing barriers that make housing, health care, and transportation more expensive than they need to be.
Those ideas are laid out in our Keystone Playbook, which focuses on policies designed to make Pennsylvania more competitive, more affordable, and more economically resilient over the long term.
One of the things voters understand intuitively is that government policy has a direct impact on the cost of living—sometimes in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. Regulations affect housing supply. Energy policy affects utility bills. Spending decisions affect inflation and taxes. Labor and licensing rules affect job creation and wages.
When we talk about affordability, we’re really talking about the cumulative effect of policy choices over time.
Voters are looking for leaders who approach these issues with some level of discipline and realism—leaders who understand that economic growth and affordability don’t come from government trying to control every outcome, but from creating the conditions where people can thrive.
That’s why Tuesday’s primary elections are important. They’re an opportunity for voters to choose candidates focused on long-term solutions rather than short-term politics.
The choice is clear. If Pennsylvania wants to be a state where people can afford to stay, raise a family, start a business, or retire comfortably, then we need policymakers who are willing to advance reforms that remove barriers and expand opportunity.
As you head to the polls this Tuesday, keep in mind that the person we elect on Tuesday, May 19th, must be principled and best positioned to win. November is just around the corner—and who we elect on Tuesday, November 3rd, will impact the future of our commonwealth. We can, and must, choose to elect leaders that will promote freedom over control, bottom-up vs. top-down policies, and economic opportunity over red tape. Our taxpayer activists are counting on it.
This is Emily Brey, State Director with Americans for Prosperity-PA.