Republican Switches Party To Democrats Amid Concerns About Affordability

[Thiệu Ngô]

A former Republican has switched parties to run for the Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections amid concerns over affordability.

By Kate Plummer

Robb Ryerse is running against Republican incumbent Steve Womack in Arkansas' 3rd congressional district. He previously ran against Womack in the Republican primary in 2018.

"I was a lifelong Republican until Donald Trump became the GOP nominee for president in 2016," Ryerse told Newsweek. "I ran an unorthodox campaign for Congress in the 2018 Republican primary as a progressive Republican. Since then, I've been working to get Democrats across the country elected to office to resist Donald Trump’s agenda and the threat of Christian Nationalism.

"When I decided to run for Congress again in 2026, it just made sense to run as a Democrat. I'm excited to run a strong campaign that helps flip Congress at the midterm elections."

Why It Matters

The economy is a key concern for American voters, with a Gallup poll showing that they overwhelmingly cited economic pressures as the main reason they voted for Trump in the November 2024 presidential election. The president pledged to bring down inflation on the campaign trail, but since taking office, the public has expressed opposition to some of Trump's economic policies, including his implementation of tariffs on America's trading partners.

The GOP have a slim majority in Congress with 219 seats to the Democrats 213. If they lose just a handful more, it will make it more difficult for Trump to push through his agenda. However, Arkansas is a solidly Republican state and has voted for GOP candidates in every presidential election since 2000, meaning it remains unlikely that Ryerse will see success in the state.

What To Know

Discussing his switch of parties, Ryerse told local news station 40/29 News on Monday he had had "a political identity crisis" and at times felt "politically homeless."

"I switched parties because I have shifted in my political beliefs over the years like a lot of people have, but party's not the most important thing to me. Serving the people of this district is," he said.

Ryerse added that while the Trump administration had promised to deal with economic issues, "nothing has been done to bring down the cost of living."

He said that locals had raised concerns about the economy, along with the price of food, health care and housing.

"People are really nervous about the cost of living and how it's dramatically increased," he said.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump said in a speech to the American Business Forum earlier this month: "Grocery prices are way down, and Walmart just announced that the cost of their standard Thanksgiving meal—this is the greatest, their greatest."

He added: "It is 25 percent lower than one year ago. That’s a big deal."