Living Wage, Affordability Platforms Like Mamdani and Platner’s Have 'Major Electoral Advantage': Polls

As One Fair Wage launched a new political action committee focused on electing candidates who will push for a true living wage that makes it possible for working people across the US to thrive, the coalition said two new surveys provide a "roadmap for 2026" for candidates and Democratic leaders who are willing to follow it.

The polls were conducted by Democratic polling firm Lake Research Partners on behalf of One Fair Wage (OFW) and the Living Wage for All Coalition, and found "overwhelming support for living wage policies in competitive swing districts and in major cities."

In 18 competitive congressional districts across the country, the first survey found that 55% of respondents supported raising the minimum wage for all workers to $25 per hour, even after being exposed to opposition messaging.

Latino voters showed the strongest support at 72%, along with people of color overall at 64%, women at 60%, and people under age 40 at 59%.

With grocery prices harder to afford than they were one year ago in many swing districts, as another poll showed last week, 56% of people said raising the minimum wage is a high or medium priority for them, including 71% of Democratic voters.

The firm also asked voters in major cities with high costs of living, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco, whether they supported raising the minimum wage to $30 in those areas, and found similar results.

Two-thirds said they backed gradually raising the minimum wage for all workers to $30 per hour.

"Support is strongest among the very voters Democrats must mobilize to win in 2026 and 2028: Black voters (80%), Latino voters (73%), young voters under 40 (72%), and women (72%) all back the proposal," Lake Research Partners said.

"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.”

Support for the proposal was highest in New York City, where Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani (D-36) has included a $30 minimum wage proposal as part of his mayoral campaign platform—one that's heavily focused on making the city more affordable for all New Yorkers.

Seventy-two percent of New Yorkers said they supported the proposal.

The polling comes as endorsements from lawmakers and advocacy groups that have long been aligned with the Democratic Party have piled up for Mamdani—and as powerful party leaders in New York including US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand have continued to refuse to publicly support the democratic socialist.

Saru Jayaraman, president of OFW, warned that a failure to deliver on affordability and living wages before the midterm elections next year will make "saving democracy" from President Donald Trump and the Republican Party impossible.

"We represent 13.6 million restaurant workers in America," Jayaraman told Common Dreams. "And over the last nine months, they've repeatedly asked us: 'You want us to come to a rally on a Saturday to save democracy? I work three jobs and I earn $3 [an hour]. What has democracy done for me lately? Nothing.'"

Along with electing candidates who center living wages and affordability, Jayaraman said in a statement that delivering on the issue "means passing Living Wage for All legislation in every blue state next spring and ensuring no one is left behind."

"If Democrats don’t deliver, the right will continue to exploit the affordability crisis to divide working people," she said. "Delivering real affordability is how we restore trust—and how we save democracy.”

Joining OFW in launching the Make America Affordable Now PAC on Thursday are Democratic candidates who are centering affordability and living wages in their campaigns, including Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh (D-62), who is running for mayor of Minneapolis; Seattle mayoral candidate Katie Wilson; and US Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine.

Like Mamdani, Platner's candidacy has elicited excitement from progressives as he's spoken out against US support for Israel's assault on Gaza and the oligarchy that has seen billionaires like Trump megadonor Elon Musk amass more political power as working people struggle to afford healthcare, groceries, and other essentials. He has put forward a platform that calls to raise the federal minimum wage and index it to inflation.

But Democratic leaders have shown little enthusiasm for Platner's embrace of policies that would make life more affordable for Mainers—despite polls showing that such proposals could help him win a seat that's been held by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) since 1997.

Schumer has led a push for Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to enter the race instead of backing Platner, who in addition to backing broadly popular policies, has shown to be a formidable fundraiser—bringing in more than $4 million since announcing his candidacy in August.

On Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—who has endorsed Platner—denounced Democratic leaders for meddling in the race.

"It’s disappointing that some Democratic leaders are urging Gov. Mills to run," said Sanders. "We need to focus on winning that seat and not waste millions on an unnecessary and divisive primary."