Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Jenik Jones is now too busy due to her actions and where she lives, and that’s a troubling signal for Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s support in Washington.
“My business helps people rebuild their credit,” Jones said during an interview at the Lehigh Valley Credit Restoration office in Bethlehem. “Managing their finances and overall financial organization.”
– Jones
She says she is truly very busy right now, because “times are tough”.
“Everything is rising, except wages here. This is the Lehigh Valley, or the hub between Philadelphia and New York, and they’re raising prices, and locals really can’t keep up.”
– Jones
Bethlehem is associated with the blue-collar belt of America, and given the region’s voting history it serves as a laboratory for measuring public sentiment. Right now, many people live paycheck to paycheck, and more and more are turning to Jones because of the affordability crisis.
They tell her various stories. “My husband lost all pay for overtime”, – Jones often hears. Also: “My kids’ childcare costs have gone up. I can’t afford groceries. I rely on credit for daily expenses. There’s no money left after bills.”
“Mostly it’s a whole bunch of financial problems,”
– Jones
“Jones is a three-time Trump voter. She still believes he is more qualified than Kamala Harris, her Democratic opponent in the previous elections.”
But now she openly says that the president did not fulfill his 2024 campaign promise to make life more affordable.
“I’m very disappointed in this. Very, very disappointed, because I feel the situation has only worsened,”
– Jones
Statistics confirm Jones’s words. Unemployment in Lehigh Valley rose with Trump’s return to the White House. Food prices in Pennsylvania rose 8.2 percent in the last year, well above the national average of 5 percent. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Bethlehem runs about $1,900 a month on average, up nearly 6% in the last year.
“People are just trying to pay for basics,” Jones says. “People can’t afford everyday life. They spend about $150 a week on groceries on average, and now about $250.”
The rise in prices became one of the factors that helped Trump win Pennsylvania and other pivotal states in November 2024. This year, the issue again became a driving force amid Democrats’ significant gains – with large margins in local elections such as the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as in the mayoral races in New York.
In Bethlehem, economic dynamics will test the 2026 midterm elections
Bethlehem will become a key testing ground to see whether the same level of strain between the cost of living and political preferences will repeat in 2026 during the midterm elections, where Democrats seek to hold on to the House and derail programs that could be on Trump’s agenda.
The Northampton County region, where Bethlehem is located, is known for often determining political winners at both the state and national levels. In recent years, the Northampton winner has usually won at the state and national level as well – in 29 of 32 presidential elections since 1900.
“Ronald Corales knew well before Election Day 2024 that Trump was running strong in the Lehigh Valley, and stronger in the Latino community than in 2016 or 2020.”
– Corales
Corales is the owner of three Gentlemen’s Barber shops in the region, and politics is only one of the topics he discusses with customers. Currently, customers are complaining about prices, and some say Trump couldn’t make life cheaper.
Corales is also a three-time Trump supporter. He bears the name in honor of Ronald Reagan: his Peruvian immigrant parents were proud to have come to the U.S., and Reagan was president at the time.
Corales believes Trump deserves more time – ten months isn’t enough to address the serious affordability issues – but he agrees that the situation hasn’t improved.
“I think we still got to give it some time,”
– Corales
Ashley Ruiz, one of the barbers who work for Corales, says that now clients complain about costs more often than during the campaign season.
She tries to help: “I tell a client: “If you cut it a little shorter, the hairstyle will last longer.” I want them to feel that they are getting a service that costs less over time.”
Ruiz understands the financial pressure: she herself tracks costs at home, including rent, groceries, and childcare as the main payments. “Costs have risen significantly,” she says. “I’m trying to make smarter choices to make life more affordable.”
Bethlehem also had other barbers who spoke of rising costs – primarily health insurance and groceries – with different political views, but the bottom line is the same: expenses rose compared to last year. Political moods also reflected this: the president’s approval rating remained low, but the visit left an impression – no one said costs had decreased; most felt they rose or stayed at previous levels. Even among Trump’s loyal voters, the view prevailed that cost pressures would persist into November 2025.
Tariffs and grocery prices could have been the main complaint were it not for the Cutters Bike Shop incident a few weeks ago; however, health care has also become an important item on the list of issues.
John and Lisa Ronka – store owners and parents of a teenager who plays sports. They have health insurance through the Obamacare exchange and faced renewal letters. “This is a triple increase,” said Lisa Ronka, emphasizing that the family is feeling the financial squeeze. “At some point that means doubling the cost of our mortgage loan. So we can’t keep this plan.”
After the latest government stalemate, Democrats aimed to expand subsidies for ACA premiums, but an agreement with Republicans could not be reached. Donald Trump and some Republican leaders promise to develop alternatives to Obamacare.
Lisa Ronka notes that Trump promised the same during his first term, but the reality does not sit well with them: “There have been years, I mean how many years?” – she adds in Ukrainian.
Ultimately Ronka and her family do not fully support Trump, but the financial strain continues to shape their views on the upcoming elections – November 2026 could be a decisive moment.