By Mark S. Lee, Contributing Columnist
The 2026 midterm elections are officially entering the home stretch, with Michigan voters heading to the polls on November 3. And voters aren’t waiting until Election Day to make their voices heard. More than 201,000 Michigan voters have already returned their ballots, a 30% increase from the same point before the 2022 general election—with less than four weeks still to go.
But as the campaigns intensify, one thing remains clear: kitchen-table issues are front and center.
The cost of living, health care, housing, gas prices, taxes and wages aren’t abstract political talking points. They’re real financial pressures affecting families—and increasingly, they’re affecting the businesses those families depend on, too.
When politicians talk about “kitchen-table issues,” they are usually talking about the financial pressures facing American families.
The price of groceries. The cost of gasoline. Housing. Health care. Taxes. Interest rates.
But there is another kitchen table that deserves attention this election season—the one where small-business owners sit down and look at their numbers.
And they’re asking many of the same questions.
Can I afford to keep doing business? Can I afford to hire another employee? Can I afford health insurance? Can I afford to expand? And ultimately, can I afford to keep my prices competitive?
That makes the traditional kitchen-table conversation much bigger than the family budget.
It is also a business conversation.
And in Michigan, that conversation is becoming particularly important as voters prepare to head to the polls.
A new survey by the Small Business Association of Michigan found that two-thirds of small-business owners say containing health-care costs should be the top priority for incoming elected officials. Taxes ranked second, followed by workforce availability. Even more striking, 84% of those surveyed said their employee health-care premiums increased by as much as $2,000 per employee over the past year.
Think about what that means for a company with 10, 20 or 50 employees.
Health care isn’t simply a benefit anymore. For many employers, it is one of their largest operating expenses.
And it is only one piece of the puzzle.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported in September that 54% of small businesses identified inflation as a top concern, with revenue, supply-chain problems and the cost of employee benefits and health care also weighing on businesses.
Then there are wages.
Businesses need qualified employees, and workers expect competitive compensation. But higher wages also increase the cost of producing a product or delivering a service.
That puts business owners in a difficult position: Pay more to attract and retain employees while simultaneously trying to keep prices affordable for customers.
Michigan’s small businesses know that challenge well. A March survey by the Small Business Association of Michigan found that 66% of small-business owners were having difficulty remaining fully staffed.
Then add tariffs.
A business importing materials or products may face higher costs before that product ever reaches the customer. The Federal Reserve’s 2026 Small Business Credit Survey found that rising costs of goods, services and wages were the most common financial challenge reported by employer firms, while more than four in 10 businesses said tariff-related costs were a financial challenge.
And what happens next?
Some businesses absorb those costs.
Some reduce expenses.
Some delay hiring or expansion.
And some raise prices.
That last option brings us right back to the household kitchen table.
Because consumers and businesses are connected.
When businesses face higher costs, consumers can pay higher prices. When consumers face higher prices, they may spend less. When consumers spend less, businesses can see weaker sales.
It is an economic circle that is difficult to break.
And that is what makes these issues so important in the 2026 midterm elections.
The political conversation will focus heavily on what candidates plan to do about the economy. But voters won’t experience those policies as economic theories.
They will experience them through their grocery bill, gas bill, health-care premium and mortgage payment.
Business owners will experience them through payroll, insurance premiums, supplier invoices, interest payments and sales.
The kitchen table and the business table are really the same table.
That may be the most important economic lesson of this election season.
A healthy economy isn’t simply one where GDP is growing or the stock market is rising. It’s one where families can afford to spend, businesses can afford to invest and employers can afford to hire.
Right now, there are signs of both resilience and pressure.
The U.S. economy grew at a revised 2.2% annual rate in the second quarter, with consumer spending rising 3.8%. That’s encouraging. But businesses continue to face elevated input costs and uncertainty, particularly around energy, tariffs and labor.
So as candidates campaign on kitchen-table issues this fall, they should remember something:
There is a business sitting at that table, too.
And its bottom line may tell us just as much about the health of the economy as the family budget does.
We invite readers, business owners, and future entrepreneurs to follow along, ask questions, and engage. If you have story ideas or questions, you can email Lee at mark@leegroupinnovation.com or visit leegroupinnovation.com.