New polling shows Democrats gain major electoral advantage by running on living wages for all and affordability

In case you missed it, during last week’s launch of the Make America Affordable Now PAC in New York City, advocates unveiled new polling conducted by Lake Research Partners, one of the nation’s top Democratic firms, and commissioned by the Living Wage for All coalition, showing overwhelming support for living-wage policies in both competitive swing districts and major U.S. cities.

The findings reveal that raising wages to reflect the real cost of living is not only good policy — it’s a winning strategy that mobilizes the very voters Democrats need to win in 2026: Black, Latino, and young voters. The research offers a clear roadmap for candidates to run and win on affordability, living wages and economic dignity.

Poll findings
Poll 1: $25 living wage: Winning in swing congressional districts
The first of the two polls, conducted among likely voters in 18 competitive congressional districts across the country — from Arizona and Pennsylvania to Michigan and New Mexico — finds that 55% support raising the minimum wage for all workers to $25 an hour, nearly double the opposition (30 percent), even after hearing arguments from both sides

As first reported in POLITICO, the poll shows that support for a $25 living wage cuts across party lines and remains strong after voters hear both pro- and anti-arguments — a sign of how durable and values-driven this issue has become.

Support was particularly strong among Latino voters (72 percent), people of color overall (64 percent), women (60 percent) and voters under 40 (59 percent). More than half of voters (56 percent) said raising the minimum wage is a high or medium priority issue for them — including 71 percent of Democrats and 69 percent of Latinos

Even after exposure to opposition messaging, voters’ preferences moved toward supporting living wages, underscoring that they view higher pay as essential to rebuilding economic security for working families.

Poll 2: $30 living wage: A mandate in major cities
The second poll, conducted among likely voters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco, finds that two-thirds (66 percent ) support gradually raising the minimum wage for all workers — including tipped workers — to $30 an hour.

Support is strongest among the very voters Democrats must mobilize to win in 2026 and 2028: Black voters (80 percent), Latino voters (73 percent), young voters under 40 (72 percent), and women (72 percent) all back the proposal. New York City leads with 72 percent support, the highest of all four cities, and two-thirds (66 percent) of voters overall say raising the minimum wage is a high or medium priority — including 84 percent of Black voters and 78 percent of Democrats.

“These numbers show that $30 an hour in major cities isn’t just popular — it’s a mandate for bold action,” said Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners. “Our polling shows that living wages are not just good policy — they’re winning politics. In the key swing districts we tested, support for a $25 living wage cuts across party lines and energizes the very voters Democrats must turn out to win in 2026 — young voters, Black voters, and Latino voters. Affordability is the defining issue of our time, and candidates who lead with a clear commitment to raising wages perform better across the board. This is how Democrats rebuild trust with working families and prove that democracy can still deliver for the people who make our economy run.”

The Roadmap for 2026
Together, the two polls create a clear political roadmap for 2026. A $25 per hour living wage in swing districts is a bipartisan winner that helps candidates hold and flip competitive seats, while $30 per hour in major cities has overwhelming support and energizes core Democratic base voters. Black, Latino, and young voters view living wages as a top priority, making this the most powerful turnout issue of the upcoming cycle. Across the board, the research shows that simple, universal living-wage policies outperform complex or phased-in proposals — offering Democrats and progressives a clear, data-driven strategy for victory.

“Affordability is the defining issue of our time,” said Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and Director of the UC Berkeley Food Labor Research Center. “It’s not just an economic concern — it’s a question of whether democracy can still work for working people. Every major poll shows affordability is shaping public opinion and election outcomes. To protect democracy and win in 2026, we can’t just talk about affordability — we have to deliver it. That means passing Living Wage for All legislation in every blue state next spring and ensuring no one is left behind. We need a real living wage — $25 an hour nationally and $30 in high-cost areas — so every worker, in every community, can truly afford to live. If Democrats don’t deliver, the right will continue to exploit the affordability crisis to divide working people. Delivering real affordability is how we restore trust — and how we save democracy.”

The polling was unveiled at the Make America Affordable Now PAC national launch, which brought together legislative leaders, labor organizers, and candidates from across the country to coordinate strategy around affordability and living wages — the defining voter issues of our time.

Confirmed participants include
• Abdul El-Sayed, U.S. Senate Candidate (Michigan).
• Perry Meade, U.S. House Candidate (California District 40).
•State Rep. Chris Rabb, U.S. House Candidate (Pennsylvania District 3).
• State Sen. Omar Fateh, Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate.
• Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, State Senate Candidate (New York).
• Nick Uniejewski, State House Candidate (Illinois District 6).
• Katie Wilson, Seattle Mayoral Candidate.
• State Rep. Mariana Sandoval, State Rep. Candidate (Arizona District 13).
• Denzell McCampbell, City Council Candidate (Detroit).
• Scott Colom, U.S. Senate Candidate (Mississippi).
• Secretary Deb Haaland, Governor Candidate (New Mexico).
• Graham Platner, U.S. Senate Candidate (Maine).