Republicans should not ignore what just happened on November 4. The major off-year races in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, and California were a clear warning shot. Exit polling from the Associated Press and ABC News found one message repeated everywhere: voters are focused on domestic policy, not foreign policy or global strategy.
The economy and affordability dominated voter concerns across every major race. In Virginia, nearly half of voters said the economy was the most important issue facing the state. In New York City, more than half of voters picked cost of living and affordability as their top issue. In New Jersey, taxes and the economy led the issue list again. Foreign policy did not register as a top issue in any of these exit polls.
The GOP cannot overlook this. Voters are sending a message. They want help with the price of groceries and energy. They want relief from taxes and health insurance costs. They want a job market that works for American workers, not a system that keeps bringing in foreign labor while wages stall.
Top Issue Among Voters (AP VoteCast and ABC Exit Surveys)
- Virginia: About 48 percent said the economy or cost of living was the most important issue in the race
- New York City: More than half of voters said affordability and the cost of living mattered most
- New Jersey: Economy and taxes led the issue list
- California special elections: Cost of living was the number one voter concern. Foreign policy did not show up as a top priority
Foreign Policy Priority
- Exit polling across the four major contests showed almost no respondents naming foreign policy as their top issue
Republicans will pay a price in 2026 if they ignore these signals.
Voters Want Results at Home
Donald Trump won younger working-class voters in 2024 by promising affordability, lower costs, and an America First focus on domestic prosperity. It worked. It was the key to building a new, multi-racial working class coalition.
But now voters expect delivery.
It has been almost a year. Inflation has slowed, but costs have not fallen back to where families can breathe. Exit polling shows voters are tired of waiting. In multiple states, voters told AP they are frustrated with the slow pace of change. They do not want more speeches about foreign alliances or overseas strategy. They want their insurance premiums to be lower. They want rent to stop climbing. They want groceries to be affordable again.
If the GOP cannot show visible progress on affordability by the midterms, the goodwill from 2024 evaporates. None of this is to say progress isn’t happening, but without the GOP focusing on it day in and day out, voters aren’t noticing it.
The Foreign Policy Obsession Is Out of Step
Trump is winning diplomatic battles overseas and projecting strength abroad. But voters did not reward Republicans for that this week. Voters barely even mentioned foreign policy as a priority in the exit polling. For the average worker in New Jersey, peace in Ukraine or Gaza is secondary to practically everything else that involves their day-to-day life.
The political danger is simple: Voters do not want foreign policy headlines while they struggle to make their living.
When the party message shifts into foreign conflicts, international strategy, or power politics on the world stage, the average voter checks out, wondering why leaders aren’t focused on domestic problems instead. They are looking at their mortgage bill, not a map of the Middle East.
Where Republicans Must Pivot Before 2026
Here is the clear path based on the voter data from November 4:
- Make affordability the top message
Talk about the cost of living daily. Every policy should connect to lowering prices, rent, insurance premiums, and taxes, just like the 2024 campaign - Link immigration to economic outcomes
Instead of cultural arguments, focus on how H1B abuse, mass migration, and cheap labor hurt American wages and job prospects. This is a winning issue and must be fully backed - Show movement on health insurance reform
Voters are begging for relief from ObamaCare premiums. Work to repeal and replace as a top priority - Work harder on mid to low-end tax cuts
Vague tax language does not work anymore. Voters want to know exactly how much more money they will keep in their paycheck. No tax on tips is good, but it’s not providing immediate relief, and it’s not broad enough - Measure and communicate progress
If voters do not see changes or at least see a fight for change, they will flip
Tuesday proved something important. Domestic economics wins elections, as evidenced by Trump’s landslide in 2024.
The Bottom Line
The exit polls from November 4 were loud and clear:
- The economy is the dominant issue
- Affordability defines every race now
- Foreign policy ranks near the bottom
Trump built a new coalition in 2024 by talking about real life, real bills, and real economic pain under Bidenomics. If Republicans return to a Washington mindset that focuses on foreign policy and ignores domestic affordability, 2026 becomes a disaster. Democrats just showed that when economic frustration rises, voters will punish whoever is in charge.
Republicans are out of runway. Voters, especially on the younger end, want action at home.
Deliver it, or lose them.