TO: Interested Parties

FROM: DGA Communications Director Sam Newton

DATE: July 1, 2026

SUBJECT: Republicans' Disastrous Budget Law is a Major Liability for Republicans Running for Governor

It has been nearly one year since Donald Trump and Republicans' disastrous, deeply unpopular budget bill was signed into law, and it has already proved to be a massive vulnerability for Republicans running for governor across the country.

Not only has it stripped away access to Medicaid and SNAP, but it has forced hospitals to close, killed good-paying jobs, taken away food from kids, driven people off of ACA coverage, jacked up energy and housing costs, and exploded the national deficit.

Over 400 hospitals across the country are at "high risk of closing or cutting services" and are being forced to lay off workers as fewer people have access to care, with hospitals in rural communities particularly at risk. Over 33 million Americans use SNAP benefits in the 36 states with a race for governor in 2026. And this year, 229,000 jobs are expected to be lost - and that could become 1.65 million jobs lost by 2029.

Just like in the races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey last year, Trump's budget law is a major liability for Republicans running for governor, especially GOP members of Congress who voted for the legislation and candidates in key swing states who support it.

Support for the Budget Law Proves to be Massive Vulnerability for GOP Candidates

Republican members of Congress Andy Biggs (AZ), David Schweikert (AZ), Byron Donalds (FL), John James (MI), and Tom Tiffany (WI), not only voted to pass the budget law but have been outspoken in their support for it.

• In Arizona, the GOP budget law is ripping health care away from 365,000 Arizonans. Biggs said the budget law was a "really good thing" and Schweikert has bragged about being a proud architect of the law.
• In Michigan, the GOP budget law is ripping health care away from 450,000 Michiganders. James touted the legislation and he has refused to answer questions about it.
• In Wisconsin, the GOP budget law is ripping health care away from 270,000 Wisconsinites. Tiffany praised the law as "a major win for the American people."

Across the country, GOP candidates Rick Jackson (GA), Bobby Charles (ME), Joe Lombardo (NV), Gregg Hull (NM), Vivek Ramaswamy (OH), and Stacy Garrity (PA) have also tied themselves to the budget law's damage in their states.

• In Georgia, the GOP budget law is ripping health care away from over 650,000 Georgians, with more than 500,000 fewer Georgians signing up for the ACA this year, and threatening rural hospitals and nursing homes. Jackson bragged about how "good" Trump's budget law was for him and how he would "be paying 40% more in taxes" if the law hadn't been passed.
• In Maine, the GOP budget law is ripping away health care from more than 61,000 Mainers and jacking up health care costs, forcing thousands of ACA enrollees in Maine to cancel their insurance plans. Charles has praised the law.
• In Nevada, the GOP budget law is ripping away health care from more than 100,000 Nevadans. Lombardo said he thinks Nevadans should be "excited" about the budget law.
• In New Mexico, the GOP budget law is ripping away health care from almost 880,000 New Mexicans. Hull has fully supported DC Republicans' agenda and has proven himself to be a rubber-stamp for Trump in the state.
• In Ohio, the GOP budget law is ripping away health care from nearly 490,000 Ohioans, while Ohio families are paying $1,532 more in expenses last year than in 2024. Ramaswamy said that the higher costs hardworking families are struggling to afford are only "perceived," and believes Medicare and Medicaid were a "mistake."
• In Pennsylvania, the GOP budget law is ripping away health care from over 480,000 Pennsylvanians. Stacy Garrity has praised the law, even going so far as to call it a "huge win." She has even continued to downplay and dodge questions on rising costs and said "things are trending in the right direction" under Trump's economy while defending the law.

Voters Already Rejected Candidates Over Their Support for the Budget Law

Don't just take our word for how much of a disaster this law is. Numerous GOP members of Congress seeking statewide office like Randy Feenstra "are having a rough year" after getting rejected by their own parties in primaries, with many of them "finding long odds" of winning in races for higher office.

And last year, Governors Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won by double-digit margins that were larger than the victories in 2017, in part by successfully holding their Republican opponents accountable for supporting the law.

Specifically, Winsome Sears and Jack Ciattarelli didn't even vote for the law, but their unequivocal support was enough to make it clear to voters that they supported gutting health care, raising costs on housing and electricity and even closing rural health clinics.

The DGA released polling last summer showing how unpopular the budget law was in Virginia and New Jersey and that was before voters even started feeling the negative impacts of the cuts.

The DGA has the winning record to hold Republicans accountable and ensure that they cannot escape their votes and support for this deeply harmful law

In 2018, when Republicans tried and failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, it resulted in landslide losses from just the threat of ripping away health care. This year, the disastrous budget law isn't just hypothetical - it's actively harming millions of Americans who are already being crushed by rising costs.

As Republicans continue to break their promises to lower costs, Democratic governors have the opportunity to go on offense on the economy with their own positive vision to make life less expensive - and that's exactly what they are doing across the country.

While each governor's race is different, every GOP candidate running for governor has backed this disastrous law that is making life worse for working families. The DGA is committed to going on offense to hold them accountable for it every day until November.

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