JD Vance says GOP needs to focus on ‘home front’ after election losses

Vice President JD Vance said Republicans must focus on the “home front” and work to make life more affordable for Americans, following the GOP’s defeats in several key elections Tuesday.

Republicans’ ability to do this will be a key factor in how Americans show up and vote in the 2026 midterm elections, according to Vance.

“I think it’s silly to overreact to a few blue state elections, but some thoughts,” Vance said in a social media post Wednesday.

“We need to focus on the home front,” Vance said. “The president has done a lot of things that have already paid off in reducing interest rates and inflation, but we inherited a disaster from Joe Biden and Rome was not built in a day. We will continue to work to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that is the measure by which we will ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond.”

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Vice President JD Vance said Republicans must focus on the “home front” and work to make life more affordable for Americans. (Gregory Bull/Associated Press)

In October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI), used to gauge the cost of goods like groceries or rent, increased 0.3% from August to September. Additionally, it increased to 3% on an annual basis from 2.9% in August, the highest overall CPI figure since January, when it also reached 3%.

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Meanwhile, Republicans lost several high-profile races on Tuesday — including gubernatorial races where former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia gubernatorial race over Republican challenger Winsome Earle-Sears, and New Jersey Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey gubernatorial race over Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

Similarly, New York City elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor of the city, defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, an independent candidate, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

In all elections, affordability and the economy were voters’ top priorities, with Mamdani supporting policies including rent freezes and city-run grocery stores to reduce food prices.

For example, Fox News Voter Poll data found that New Jersey voters pointed to the state’s high taxes and the economy as their top two issues. Additionally, poll data found that half of Virginia voters said the economy was their top priority.

Similarly, New York City voters ranked affordability among their top concerns, according to Fox News Voter Poll data.

“I think if you read the polls, the shutdown was a big factor,” President Donald Trump said on Nov. 5, 2025, during a breakfast meeting with Senate Republicans. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said the party can accommodate moderate Democrats like Sherrill and Spanberger, as well as progressives like Mamdani. Although they don’t have to agree on everything, they agree on the need to make life more affordable for Americans, he said.

“There are a lot of different ideas on how to achieve our goals, but we are united around these goals,” Martin told Fox News Digital before the election. “We are united to make sure people’s lives are more affordable and we can create an economy that works for everyone in this country.”

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Socialist Zohran Mamdani won his race for mayor of New York, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump says the government shutdown that began Oct. 1 due to a lack of funding is to blame for the Republican Party’s losses in Tuesday’s election.

“I think if you read the polls, the shutdown was a big factor,” Trump said Wednesday at a breakfast with Senate Republicans. “Negative for Republicans, and that was a big factor.”

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Eric Revell, Paul Steinhauser and Emma Colton of Fox News contributed to this report.