Dear Dems: if you want to woo voters, cap the rent

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OPINION – The race to win the 2026 elections to save our country from all-out authoritarianism has begun. Last month’s election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s next mayor—running on a bold platform of freezing rents for 2.4 million rent-stabilized tenants—shows exactly how Democrats can win. California Democratic leadership, from Assembly leader Robert Rivas to Governor Gavin Newsom, have pledged to address Californian’s kitchen table economics. But they continue to ignore one of the most powerful tools available to provide immediate relief to millions now—rent caps.

The disconnect is staggering. A new report shows California tied with Louisiana for the highest poverty rate in the country, driven by the crushing cost of housing. And yet many of our elected officials remain paralyzed by the myth that capping rents is politically toxic. It’s time to set the record straight: rent caps aren’t just good policy, it’s a winning issue that Democrats can lead on to rebuild trust with working families in 2026.

Research shows rent caps are overwhelmingly popular. A 2024 poll of 2,500 registered voters in swing districts across the country found that 70% said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supports rent stabilization—including 78% of renters and 67% of homeowners. Even more striking, rent stabilization was the most popular housing policy out of all options presented, more popular than affordable housing construction or tenant vouchers. Similarly, a 2024 Redfin survey also found that 82% of Americans support rent caps, including 86% of Democrats and 79% of Republicans. These aren’t the numbers of a fringe issue—this is a consensus position that transcends party lines. No matter which poll you’re reading, the support for rent caps is a clear political winner.

For years, the corporate landlord lobby has spent unprecedented sums to convince voters and politicians that the opposite is true. A 2023 report revealed that the California Apartment Association spent at least $233 million to block housing solutions and defeat tenant protection ballot measures through lies and misleading campaigns. They also funded 70% of state legislators, including 78% of Assemblymembers. When you’re spending a quarter-billion dollars to defeat something, it’s usually because it’s popular, not because it’s unpopular.

Mamdani’s victory joins a growing pattern of electoral success for pro-tenant candidates. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu won two-thirds of the vote while championing rent stabilization. Saint Paul’s City Council flipped after successfully passing rent control. Even in California, we’ve seen this dynamic play out. In Pasadena, City Councilmember Felicia Williams became the voice of landlord opposition to a rent stabilization measure that voters had passed. She was soundly defeated in her 2024 reelection campaign. When politicians champion tenant protections, they win.

Assembly member Ash Kalra’s AB 1157, the Affordable Rent Act, gives California Democrats the opportunity to deliver immediate relief while positioning themselves for electoral success. The bill does three things: it cuts allowable annual rent increases from the current cap of 10% to a maximum of 5%, expands protections to single-family homes, and makes these protections permanent.

This isn’t radical policy—it’s common sense. Under current law, renters can face cumulative rent increases of 259% over ten years. Meanwhile, research from the U.S. Government Accountability Office shows that every $100 increase in median rent correlates with a 9% increase in homelessness.

AB 1157 maintains the 15-year exemption for new construction, ensuring continued housing production while preventing corporate gouging. With Wall Street firms now owning a growing share of all rental housing nationally and using algorithm-based pricing to maximize profits, this bill targets the real culprits: predatory corporate landlords, not mom-and-pop property owners.

With Trump attacking working families from Washington, Democrats must do more than defend the already unsustainable status quo. A bold rent cap campaign is exactly the kind of visionary leadership that builds hope and demonstrates that government can deliver—our strongest weapon against authoritarian appeals.

California Democrats face a clear choice: continue letting the California Apartment Association’s Wall Street board members—who collectively own nearly 10% of all rental units in our state—set our housing agenda, or start fighting for the working families who elected them. Renters and homeowners, Democrats and Republican voters, all want a strong rent cap. Supporting AB 1157 isn’t just a moral policy choice—it gives Democrats a concrete victory to point to as they head into 2026. The Working Families Party knows which side we’re on. It’s time for every Democrat in California to make that choice clear too.

Christina Livingston is the Chair of the California Working Families Party.