AP: Democrats Are Making Tariffs a “Lethal Issue” for Republicans in Gov Races

AP: Democrats Are Making Tariffs a "Lethal Issue" for Republicans in Gov Races

New reporting from AP dives into how Republicans' support for Trump's cost-raising tariffs is "central" to Democrats' pitch to voters in governors races this year.

As rising costs continue to be a "motivating issue for many voters," tariffs are all but certain to remain at the top of every conversation in governor's races as candidates put the "broader issue of affordability […] at the forefront of their agenda."

Republican candidates for governor are being hit everywhere on their disastrous agenda that is killing jobs, hurting small businesses, and skyrocketing costs - and their support for Trump's tariffs is making 2026 "a challenging election year for the GOP."

Check out more from AP's reporting here or read more below:

AP: Democrats aim to turn Trump's tariffs against GOP in campaigns for governor

• Less than a week after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul listened as one of the plaintiffs in the case recounted the financial toll of the levies on his wine importing business.

• As Hochul seeks reelection this year, she says the impact of Trump's tariffs is a "centerpiece" of her message.

• "This is a lethal issue for Republicans this November," Hochul said in an interview. "You can be sure we're going to make sure people know who did this to them."

• Democrats running for governor across the country are making tariffs central to their pitch to voters. They're betting that in an election year dominated by issues ranging from immigration to the war in Iran, rising costs connected to the tariffs will be a motivating issue for many voters.

• "That picture of (Trump) with the tariff board is going to be front and center in every single one of our campaigns," Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, who is leading the Democratic Governors Association this year, said in an interview.

• Republicans are entering a challenging election year as they contend with voter anxiety around spiking prices - an issue Trump pledged to fix during his 2024 campaign - and the record of a president's party losing ground during the midterms.

• In Nevada, state Attorney General Aaron Ford sued the administration over its initial round of tariffs and is suing again as Trump seeks to revive them. As he seeks the Democratic nomination to take on Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo, Ford called the tariffs "illegal" and blamed them for restaurant closures and fewer visitors to his tourism-dependent state.

• "Tariffs are at the very top of the conversation because Nevadans every single day are feeling the impacts," Ford said.

• In Arizona, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is seeking reelection in a state Trump won by more than 5 percentage points in 2024 with a focus on costs. She criticized GOP Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, who are vying for the nomination to challenge her, for "cheering on these reckless tariffs." Both lawmakers voted against a measure last month to end the national emergency Trump declared to impose tariffs on Canada.

• Hobbs said the cost concern was about more than tariffs, noting Medicaid cuts, rising health costs and a spike in gas prices in the wake of the war in Iran. "They're being hit everywhere," she said.

• Lombardo's response to a question about tariffs last year in a local television interview has given Democrats persistent fodder. The governor said, "We need to maybe feel a little pain in the short term and hopefully in the long term it's a huge benefit for us."

• "We're feeling it," Ford said of the pain, "and Nevadans are ready for new leadership."

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