The Issue That Crosses Every Party Line: Arizona Voters Rank Cost of Living First. Now a New Scorecard Tracks It.
- EZAZ.org Strong Communities Action Team
- 13h
- 5 min read
Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona · August 30, 2026 · 4 min read
Summary: Stealth Analytics found cost of living first among likely Arizona voters at 42% — and first in every party: Democrats 57%, Republicans 39%, independents 34%. Other surveys match. This brief explains how state government reaches a grocery bill, a rent payment, and a power bill — and how AZ Wallet Watch records those floor votes so voters can stay informed on how their representatives helped lower costs or made things more expensive. It does not support or oppose any candidate or party.
ARIZONA — Cost of living is the top issue for Democrats, Republicans, and independents. AZ Wallet Watch now keeps a public record of the state votes that move those costs. https://www.azwalletwatch.com/ Researchers read 397 enrolled floor bills from 2023 through 2026 and scored them by how they impact everyday costs and economic opportunities.
How State Government Hits a Household Bill
A grocery receipt is not only a Washington story. A republic splits power on purpose. No one office sets the price of milk. Each level of government writes a different line on the receipt.
The Legislature. A bill needs a majority in the House and the Senate. https://www.azleg.gov/ Those statutes cover state taxes, insurance rules, housing law, occupational licenses, and spending. Spending today is a tax tomorrow. That is why a “handout” vote still belongs on a cost ledger.
The Governor. After both chambers pass a bill, the Governor signs it, vetoes it, or lets it become law. A veto can stop a cost from being added, or stop a cost from being cut. The sign-or-veto is the governor’s recorded vote.
Cities and towns. Local councils levy their own sales taxes. In Arizona, many still tax food for home consumption. Two carts in two cities can be taxed at different rates because two councils voted differently.
The Corporation Commission. Many electric and gas rates do not go through the Legislature. They go through this separately elected body. https://www.azcc.gov/ That is why a power bill can move even when the House is out of session.
Housing. State statute sits on top. City zoning and permitting sit underneath. If fewer homes can be built, rents and starter-home prices rise. That cost is made by stacked governments, not by a single headline. https://commonsenseinstituteus.org/arizona/research/housing-and-our-community/housing-affordability-in-arizona-2026/
When the Legislature refers a measure, voters act as lawmakers. That is initiative and referendum — the people’s statute book.
The Scorecard Identifies 4 Kinds of Wallet Bills
Each bill goes into one of four buckets.
Cuts Costs. The bill lowers what people pay — a tax cut, a fee cut, or a rule that makes a basic good cheaper.
Raises Costs. The bill makes life more expensive, shrinks opportunity, or grows government in a way households eventually fund.
Get Ahead. The bill expands the chance to earn, work, build, or keep more of what you make.
Stops Waste. The bill trims a regulatory burden or a spending habit that does not have to be there.
AZ Wallet Watch scores the whole bill vehicle, not just a talking-point or bill title.
How an Elected Official Earns Scorecard Points
Every bill that matches one of those four categories is worth 1 point. A legislator earns the point with a Yes vote on a Cuts Costs, Get Ahead, or Stops Waste bill. A legislator earns the point with a No vote on a Raises Costs bill. Bills that died on the floor still count. Bills the Governor vetoed still count. The Governor is scored on sign or veto only. https://www.azwalletwatch.com/
An elected official with a cumulative score of 80% or higher receives the site’s green Fights High Costs shield. An elected official with a score below 80% receives the site’s red Enables High Costs shield.
Many of the elected officials voted together on party lines, with Republicans averaging 89.1% and Democrats 39.3%. https://www.azwalletwatch.com/ That is a description of how each caucus voted on the bills in the file. It is not an endorsement of either party.
Gov. Katie Hobbs is scored on sign or veto only. On the cost-cutter bills that reached her desk, she vetoed 48%. https://www.azwalletwatch.com/
Not Voting is excused only if the member was excused that day, or cast no other yea or nay that day. If the member voted on other bills that same day, a skipped vote counts against that member’s score.
How to Use It
The homepage is built to be simple. You do not need to know your district number.
Type your Arizona address.
The site pulls the elected officials and candidates in that district and shows each person’s cumulative score, plus the Fights High Costs or Enables High Costs shield that score earns.
You can also dig deeper and look through every bill, read how it impacts costs, and contact elected officials currently in office.
Why the Wallet Watch Scorecard Matters to Voters
Stealth Analytics surveyed 530 likely November 2026 voters from August 11–13, 2026 (±4.3%, SMS-to-web). https://www.stealth-analytics.com/dispatches/az-general-lv-statewide-august-2026 Cost of living and inflation led at 42% — three times immigration (14%) and three times water (14%). No other issue reached 15%.
Cost of living ranked first among Democrats (57%), Republicans (39%), and independents (34%). That is the only issue with standing in every coalition. https://data.ddhq.io/polls/2026/08/17/Stealth-Analytics-Arizona
AARP Arizona found rising prices the most-cited top-two issue at 37%, with groceries first. https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/voter-research/politics/2026-midterm-election-poll-arizona/ The League of Arizona Cities and Towns found housing the top local worry at 44%. https://www.leagueaz.org/e/26ac/documents/Thursday/Aug_2026_AZLeague_Poll_Deck.pdf UnidosUS found 56% of Arizona Latino voters naming food, housing, gas, and electric bills first. https://unidosus.org/press-releases/new-unidosus-bipartisan-poll-arizona-hispanic-voters-feeling-economically-strained-concerned-about-their-safety-and-ready-to-vote-with-a-clear-message-for-candidates/ A Grand Canyon Institute survey found 69% rating the state’s cost of living only fair or poor across all three party groups. https://grandcanyoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GCI_Policy_Survey_Paid_Family_and_Medical_Leave_Nov_13_2025.pdf
Phoenix-area prices have climbed about 31% since 2020. https://commonsenseinstituteus.org/arizona/
Common Sense Institute estimates a typical Valley household now spends nearly $6,900 a month on everyday costs — about $1,700 more than before the pandemic. https://azfreenews.com/2026/08/phoenix-inflation-cooled-as-personal-income-went-up-in-june/
The same Stealth survey described Proposition 316, which would cap local grocery taxes at 2% and require voter approval to raise them. https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_Proposition_316,_Limit_Local_Tax_Rate_on_Groceries_to_2%25_of_Base_Price_and_Require_Voter_Approval_to_Increase_Tax_Rate_Measure_(2026) After a neutral description and balanced arguments, 60% supported it, 9% opposed it, and 31% were unsure.
That is a poll result about a policy, not a recommendation on how to mark a ballot.
The polls say Arizona already knows the problem. The scorecard is there so the process is not a mystery.
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This brief is issue education on public polling and on how government is structured. It does not support or oppose any candidate or political party.
