Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York says the victory of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed marks a significant milestone for the left wing, arguing the results carry far greater implications than previous progressive wins in congressional races.
“Well, first of all, we’ve seen a lot of discussion about the polls in this race, and they were terrible. They were absolutely terrible. Couldn’t believe a word of them. But the most important story, the big story here, is that the socialist-aligned candidate won,” York said on Fox Business’s Kudlow on Wednesday.
York contrasted the statewide victory with past successes by left-wing candidates in smaller jurisdictions, saying, “he won, not in a congressional district, like in New York, with about 750,000 people in it, he won statewide in a big state with 10 million people in it. It’s a huge step forward for the socialist movement.”
York noted that the election also unfolded against the backdrop of continued voter dissatisfaction over the economy, particularly the lingering effects of inflation. Although inflation has slowed considerably from its peak, York noted that lower inflation does not reverse high prices already built into household budgets.
“The basic fact of inflation is the level of prices don’t go down. They stop going up as fast, but they don’t go down. So you have to have wages catch up with them,” York said.
While wage growth has begun to outpace inflation in recent years, York acknowledged that “It’s what’s happening now, but it takes a while.”
REPUBLICANS LOSING FOUR SEATS ‘UNLIKELY, BUT STILL QUITE POSSIBLE’: BYRON YORK
York noted the dynamic continues to create political challenges for the party in power, citing a Fox News poll that showed only 25% of respondents reported inflation was “not a hardship” for their household, while the overwhelming majority described it as either a major or moderate burden.
“Usually, no economic problem works for the party in power,” York said, arguing that affordability concerns remain a potent political issue even as headline inflation has eased.