The cost of living is one of the biggest concerns for Florida voters in 2026. When groceries, housing, insurance, and health care become more expensive, how much power does government have to change what people pay?
A recent Stetson University survey found that 39% of likely Florida voters identified cost of living and inflation as the most important issue in the 2026 election, more than any other issue included in the survey.
Affordability is a major talking point on the campaign trail. Campaign messages can make the problem sound straightforward: Elect a particular candidate and costs will come down. The reality is more complicated.
During a moderated discussion for Vote Your Budget, part of Central Florida Public Media’s Seen & Heard series, in partnership with the Oviedo Community News, the panel discussed what government can do about the cost of living, which parts of the affordability problem are affected by public policy, and how to evaluate what candidates are saying about it.
The panel brought together three people with different perspectives and experiences in Florida public life:
Dick Batchelor is a former Democratic state representative who served in the Florida House. He’s the president of the Dick Batchelor Management Group consulting firm.
Jeff Brandes is a former Republican state senator. He’s the founder and president of the Florida Policy Project, a nonpartisan organization.
Stephen Masyada is director of UCF’s Lou Frey Institute in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, where he focuses on civics education and civic engagement.
What can government actually change?
When people say that their paycheck isn't keeping up with their lives, a higher wage doesn’t necessarily mean they can afford more.
Dick Batchelor said families are facing pressure from several directions at once including inflation, transportation, health care, and insurance. Housing is one of the biggest pressures for workers in Central Florida’s tourism economy, Batchelor added. He said wages in the industry often aren’t enough to keep up.
“When you get up in the morning or get by the kitchen table at night with the checkbook out and try to pay these bills that are all inflated, nothing's going down, the salaries aren't going up, but if they do, there are minimal increases and so it's eaten up by the inflation, gas costs, housing costs, insurance costs, state insurance costs too,” he said.
Jeff Brandes was asked to use housing to explain the limits of government.
“A lot of at least the housing issues are local-level decisions,” Brandes said. “We see local elected officials who've just chosen not to engage in those types of discussions that allow for less expensive housing, specifically allowing for smaller lot sizes, upzoning, accessory dwelling units, getting rid of parking minimums, those typical things.”
Brandes said local governments need to work with private developers to increase the supply of housing.
“I think the simple truth though is you don't get there with government money,” he said. “You have to have private developers developing these, and you have to have a partnership with local governments that allow developers to build the products that people need in the community, and that just doesn't happen today.”
How voters can evaluate affordability promises
Stephen Masyada said one of the biggest challenges for voters is understanding which level of government has the authority to address a particular problem.
“Look at the general research on civic education and civic knowledge. People do not understand the difference between local, state, and federal government,” he said.
Masyada said voters can use local government websites to find out which officials and agencies have authority over a particular issue. Voters have to make the effort to understand how government works rather than assuming a particular elected official has the power to solve a problem.
“Don’t rely on political promises,” he said.
Understanding which level of government is responsible for an issue and what authority an elected official has can help them separate policy proposals from campaign promises.
“A promise is not a policy, and I think until we realize that, we’re going to continue to struggle,” Masyada said.
The bottom line for voters
Each of the panelists was asked to name something they want voters to better understand about the role public policy plays in someone’s budget.
“You need to have the candidates discern for you how they can help, number one. Number two, you need to identify the source or elected official at the level where they can do things,” Batchelor said. “You need to petition that those members of Congress respond to your issue.”
Masyada built on that advice and added, “Know where your tax dollars are going, know where your money is going.”
Brandes cautioned, “You have to be responsible for your own family and your own finances, and the government's not going to save you.”
