Grocery costs in Philadelphia have surged more than in most places, potentially affecting Democrats.
Democrats face challenges in effectively communicating their "price-gouging" message to undecided voters.
TroibNews 
**PHILADELPHIA —** Few areas in the United States have witnessed such a steep increase in food prices over the last four years as Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs.
The repercussions of these rising costs could significantly influence the Democratic Party’s standing in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, based on insights from over 30 voters, elected officials, and political operatives.
Under President Joe Biden's administration, the escalating cost of living has put Democrats on the defensive nationally. Although food inflation has decreased in the past year, prices are still approximately 20 percent higher than they were during the 2020 presidential election. This persistent issue has complicated voters’ views of the economy, particularly in the Keystone State.
Federal government analyses indicate that from 2021 to 2022, retail food prices in the Philadelphia metro area rose by nearly 14 percent on average, ranking it among the top areas for price increases, just behind Detroit and Dallas. The upward trend continued in 2023, as food prices in the Philadelphia region remained among the highest nationwide. Consumer Affairs noted that Pennsylvania had the highest grocery inflation rate in 2023 overall. Economists have suggested various factors behind these trends, including labor costs, competition in the grocery sector, and supply chain challenges.
Vice President Kamala Harris is concluding her campaign efforts in Pennsylvania just ahead of Tuesday's elections. During a recent campaign event in North Philadelphia, she emphasized the importance of the area by stating, “Truly the path to victory runs through Philly and it runs through Pennsylvania.” Turnout in the city—known as a Democratic stronghold—is crucial for Harris’ success in winning the state and for Democratic incumbent Bob Casey’s bid to retain his Senate seat. It will also play a role in Democrats’ efforts to counter a Republican challenge in a House district in Allentown, located an hour north of Philadelphia.
While food costs are not the only factor influencing voter sentiment in these races, they have provided Republicans a strong argument as the election approaches.
“I blame the president,” said Rich, an independent voter loading groceries at a Philadelphia ShopRite, who preferred to remain anonymous. “I used to be a Barack Obama voter. I am completely opposite now. They've changed me.”
Mark Harris, a Republican strategist from Pittsburgh involved with the campaign of Senate candidate Dave McCormick, mentioned that rising food prices have been a frequently discussed issue in his campaign research. “It’s a pain point that people have to deal with every day. It’s like gasoline in that sense,” he noted.
McCormick, a hedge fund manager, and his GOP supporters have capitalized on this issue in his campaign against three-term Democratic incumbent Bob Casey. In a TV advertisement funded by a McCormick-aligned Super PAC, a young mother expresses her frustrations, stating, “Everything costs so much. Filling up the car, getting groceries and the bills, they keep stacking up. I blame Bob Casey. His reckless spending caused prices to skyrocket.”
“Pennsylvania has the highest grocery inflation rate of all 50 states — this is the price of Bob Casey's poor leadership, and it's crushing working families and small businesses across our commonwealth,” McCormick said in a statement to PMG.
In the Lehigh Valley, GOP challenger Ryan Mackenzie is also challenging Democratic Rep. Susan Wild on this issue.
“People aren't stupid. They know that inflation is driven by bad decisions that came out of Washington, D.C.,” Mackenzie remarked in a phone interview. “High prices of food are driven by inflation. It's not hard for people to connect those dots.”
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have also discussed food prices during their visits to the state. Vance held a photo-op in Reading in September, attributing a $4 price for eggs to Harris, even though the actual cost was $2.99.
Last month in Kittanning, northeast of Pittsburgh, Trump handed $100 to a mother of three during a grocery store visit.
"It [the cost] just went down 100 bucks,” he told the woman, Jenny Kantz. “We’ll do that for you from the White House.”
RNC spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated that Trump, if elected, would “cut taxes and unleash American energy to lower prices on groceries and other goods.”
“From cereal, to baked goods, chicken and beef, eggs, and milk, Americans are paying the price of Kamala’s failed policies just to put food on the table for their families,” Rogers wrote.
Economists have challenged the notion that Trump could significantly lower prices through his proposed policies, while Harris and other Democrats have warned that his plan to raise tariffs could actually lead to higher prices.
Since Labor Day, presidential campaigns and allied PACs have invested more than $22 million in Pennsylvania focused on inflation, according to AdImpact.
The global shutdowns during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant shipment and production delays worldwide, contributing to soaring prices. Nationwide, food prices increased by nearly 10 percent in 2022—the highest inflation rate since 1979.
The war in Ukraine has further complicated food price dynamics, raising costs for grains, fuel, and fertilizer, which food companies subsequently passed on to consumers. Experts also point to increased consolidation in the food and grocery markets as a factor in rising prices, noting that profit margins have expanded even as pandemic-induced costs declined. Republicans contend that the trillions in government spending during the pandemic are a central issue driving inflation.
Various factors may explain why certain metro areas, including Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Houston, and Dallas, have seen particularly high food inflation since 2020. Differences in labor costs and competition among retailers are likely contributors.
“My hypothesis is that this is really driven by things like labor and wages and rent and transportation costs that might vary regionally,” said David Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University. He also noted that consumer preferences can play a role. For instance, areas where consumers lean towards lower-inflation foods, like fresh produce, show more modest overall food price increases compared to regions with high demand for processed products that have experienced greater price growth.
Casey acknowledged the significance of the issue, stating after an event in West Philadelphia, that the "cost of living is a huge issue” in his race. “I think it's probably the number one issue domestically across the country, and we've got to address it."
He argues that corporations, rather than Democratic officials, should bear much of the blame for rising food prices. The senior senator from Pennsylvania has focused on "greedflation" during his campaign, releasing reports documenting inflated profit margins for food manufacturers and grocers, while proposing legislation to combat food price gouging based on similar state laws, including those in Pennsylvania.
Biden supported this initiative before exiting the reelection race, while Vice President Harris promoted a ban on price gouging in her initial policy speech, acknowledging Casey’s legislation.
Political analysts in Pennsylvania believe that the strategy is sound.
“When Casey started … to make this his key angle and it’s been adopted, I think it ultimately was a good strategic move because you have to confront the issue,” said Christopher Borick, a Pennsylvania pollster and political science professor at Muhlenberg College.
The focus on food prices is resonating with some Pennsylvania voters.
Cozy Wilkins, 66, a volunteer at the New Bethany food pantry in Bethlehem, echoed Democrats’ “price-gouging” rhetoric regarding grocery costs, expressing her intent to vote for Democrats.
“They’re price gouging. They’re taking advantage of the situation of us going through Covid,” Wilkins commented in an interview. “That makes it harder for women to feed their kids. When you’re price-gouging, all of these big corporations, they’re taking all of the money, and they're not feeding the people. That's very unfair.”
Rich Iezzi, a Philadelphia resident working in the wholesale food sector, witnessed price-gouging firsthand. He observed that while inflation declined in the post-pandemic years, his competitors maintained high markups, increasing their profit margins.
Iezzi reported that he already voted for Harris and Casey, believing that the senator’s stance on price gouging was “one more reason” to support him. “He's more apt to go after the price-gouging. That's more of a good thing. I don't think Republicans care about that as much.”
Casey leads McCormick by just one point in a recent Emerson College/RealClearPennsylvania poll. Harris and Trump are closely matched, but a recent Franklin and Marshall College poll indicates that Harris trails Trump by 6 points regarding the economy among registered voters.
The concentrated focus on food prices is pushing Democrats in the state away from their preferred messaging—like abortion.
Wild has adopted Casey’s rhetoric on price gouging, recognizing her constituents’ financial struggles. However, she has primarily concentrated her campaign on reproductive rights and reducing prescription drug costs, topics that resonate better with voters in areas like Northampton County, which has historically leaned Democratic.
“We are on the right trajectory,” Wild stated in a recent interview in downtown Allentown. “The things that were put into place in the last Congress and by this administration to bring inflation down are actually working. I know that it's been a long process, and it seems slower than people like, but we are moving in the right direction.”
Wild is leading Mackenzie 50 to 45 percent in a recent Muhlenberg College poll, which indicates that economic concerns, particularly inflation, dominate voters' minds. This pattern is echoed statewide, as shown in a New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll of likely Pennsylvania voters conducted in early October, with abortion following as the second top issue.
For many Pennsylvanians, the inflation burden is compounded by stagnant wages. The state’s minimum wage is still at the federal minimum of $7.25, even as numerous other states—often far more conservative—have implemented higher minimums.
This combination of economic factors has led to a rise in food insecurity across Pennsylvania, the term used by the Agriculture Department to describe families lacking enough food.
According to Marc Rittle, executive director of New Bethany, the Bethlehem food pantry saw a 90 percent increase in households served from 2022 to 2023—a rise attributed to both high food prices and the end of generous pandemic-related benefits such as the extended Child Tax Credit. Philabundance, a food bank serving the Philadelphia metro area, reported a 25 percent increase in food insecurity within its service area in 2022.
“I’m 69 years old and I’m still working to make ends meet,” said Linda Amodei outside a ShopRite. “I want to quit but I can’t.” Although Amodei, who resides in Philadelphia, cited rising costs as impacting her political views, she stated that crime is her primary concern, which will lead her to vote for Trump.
In Allentown, Caitlin Young, 26, a mother of two expecting a third child, shared her experience of resorting to government assistance recently due to the high cost of living—one of several factors influencing her decision to vote for Trump in 2024, just as she did in 2020.
“I actually had to go on food stamps,” said Young, a registered Democrat, while unloading her groceries from a Giant grocery store in Wild’s district. “That's just so I can make healthy, homemade meals every night for my kids.”
While she had not heard about any specific plans from Trump to reduce grocery prices, she expressed hope that he would take action. “It's ridiculous. I know I shouldn’t be paying almost $6 for a gallon of milk."
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
The repercussions of these rising costs could significantly influence the Democratic Party’s standing in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, based on insights from over 30 voters, elected officials, and political operatives.
Under President Joe Biden's administration, the escalating cost of living has put Democrats on the defensive nationally. Although food inflation has decreased in the past year, prices are still approximately 20 percent higher than they were during the 2020 presidential election. This persistent issue has complicated voters’ views of the economy, particularly in the Keystone State.
Federal government analyses indicate that from 2021 to 2022, retail food prices in the Philadelphia metro area rose by nearly 14 percent on average, ranking it among the top areas for price increases, just behind Detroit and Dallas. The upward trend continued in 2023, as food prices in the Philadelphia region remained among the highest nationwide. Consumer Affairs noted that Pennsylvania had the highest grocery inflation rate in 2023 overall. Economists have suggested various factors behind these trends, including labor costs, competition in the grocery sector, and supply chain challenges.
Vice President Kamala Harris is concluding her campaign efforts in Pennsylvania just ahead of Tuesday's elections. During a recent campaign event in North Philadelphia, she emphasized the importance of the area by stating, “Truly the path to victory runs through Philly and it runs through Pennsylvania.” Turnout in the city—known as a Democratic stronghold—is crucial for Harris’ success in winning the state and for Democratic incumbent Bob Casey’s bid to retain his Senate seat. It will also play a role in Democrats’ efforts to counter a Republican challenge in a House district in Allentown, located an hour north of Philadelphia.
While food costs are not the only factor influencing voter sentiment in these races, they have provided Republicans a strong argument as the election approaches.
“I blame the president,” said Rich, an independent voter loading groceries at a Philadelphia ShopRite, who preferred to remain anonymous. “I used to be a Barack Obama voter. I am completely opposite now. They've changed me.”
Mark Harris, a Republican strategist from Pittsburgh involved with the campaign of Senate candidate Dave McCormick, mentioned that rising food prices have been a frequently discussed issue in his campaign research. “It’s a pain point that people have to deal with every day. It’s like gasoline in that sense,” he noted.
McCormick, a hedge fund manager, and his GOP supporters have capitalized on this issue in his campaign against three-term Democratic incumbent Bob Casey. In a TV advertisement funded by a McCormick-aligned Super PAC, a young mother expresses her frustrations, stating, “Everything costs so much. Filling up the car, getting groceries and the bills, they keep stacking up. I blame Bob Casey. His reckless spending caused prices to skyrocket.”
“Pennsylvania has the highest grocery inflation rate of all 50 states — this is the price of Bob Casey's poor leadership, and it's crushing working families and small businesses across our commonwealth,” McCormick said in a statement to PMG.
In the Lehigh Valley, GOP challenger Ryan Mackenzie is also challenging Democratic Rep. Susan Wild on this issue.
“People aren't stupid. They know that inflation is driven by bad decisions that came out of Washington, D.C.,” Mackenzie remarked in a phone interview. “High prices of food are driven by inflation. It's not hard for people to connect those dots.”
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have also discussed food prices during their visits to the state. Vance held a photo-op in Reading in September, attributing a $4 price for eggs to Harris, even though the actual cost was $2.99.
Last month in Kittanning, northeast of Pittsburgh, Trump handed $100 to a mother of three during a grocery store visit.
"It [the cost] just went down 100 bucks,” he told the woman, Jenny Kantz. “We’ll do that for you from the White House.”
RNC spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated that Trump, if elected, would “cut taxes and unleash American energy to lower prices on groceries and other goods.”
“From cereal, to baked goods, chicken and beef, eggs, and milk, Americans are paying the price of Kamala’s failed policies just to put food on the table for their families,” Rogers wrote.
Economists have challenged the notion that Trump could significantly lower prices through his proposed policies, while Harris and other Democrats have warned that his plan to raise tariffs could actually lead to higher prices.
Since Labor Day, presidential campaigns and allied PACs have invested more than $22 million in Pennsylvania focused on inflation, according to AdImpact.
The global shutdowns during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant shipment and production delays worldwide, contributing to soaring prices. Nationwide, food prices increased by nearly 10 percent in 2022—the highest inflation rate since 1979.
The war in Ukraine has further complicated food price dynamics, raising costs for grains, fuel, and fertilizer, which food companies subsequently passed on to consumers. Experts also point to increased consolidation in the food and grocery markets as a factor in rising prices, noting that profit margins have expanded even as pandemic-induced costs declined. Republicans contend that the trillions in government spending during the pandemic are a central issue driving inflation.
Various factors may explain why certain metro areas, including Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Houston, and Dallas, have seen particularly high food inflation since 2020. Differences in labor costs and competition among retailers are likely contributors.
“My hypothesis is that this is really driven by things like labor and wages and rent and transportation costs that might vary regionally,” said David Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University. He also noted that consumer preferences can play a role. For instance, areas where consumers lean towards lower-inflation foods, like fresh produce, show more modest overall food price increases compared to regions with high demand for processed products that have experienced greater price growth.
Casey acknowledged the significance of the issue, stating after an event in West Philadelphia, that the "cost of living is a huge issue” in his race. “I think it's probably the number one issue domestically across the country, and we've got to address it."
He argues that corporations, rather than Democratic officials, should bear much of the blame for rising food prices. The senior senator from Pennsylvania has focused on "greedflation" during his campaign, releasing reports documenting inflated profit margins for food manufacturers and grocers, while proposing legislation to combat food price gouging based on similar state laws, including those in Pennsylvania.
Biden supported this initiative before exiting the reelection race, while Vice President Harris promoted a ban on price gouging in her initial policy speech, acknowledging Casey’s legislation.
Political analysts in Pennsylvania believe that the strategy is sound.
“When Casey started … to make this his key angle and it’s been adopted, I think it ultimately was a good strategic move because you have to confront the issue,” said Christopher Borick, a Pennsylvania pollster and political science professor at Muhlenberg College.
The focus on food prices is resonating with some Pennsylvania voters.
Cozy Wilkins, 66, a volunteer at the New Bethany food pantry in Bethlehem, echoed Democrats’ “price-gouging” rhetoric regarding grocery costs, expressing her intent to vote for Democrats.
“They’re price gouging. They’re taking advantage of the situation of us going through Covid,” Wilkins commented in an interview. “That makes it harder for women to feed their kids. When you’re price-gouging, all of these big corporations, they’re taking all of the money, and they're not feeding the people. That's very unfair.”
Rich Iezzi, a Philadelphia resident working in the wholesale food sector, witnessed price-gouging firsthand. He observed that while inflation declined in the post-pandemic years, his competitors maintained high markups, increasing their profit margins.
Iezzi reported that he already voted for Harris and Casey, believing that the senator’s stance on price gouging was “one more reason” to support him. “He's more apt to go after the price-gouging. That's more of a good thing. I don't think Republicans care about that as much.”
Casey leads McCormick by just one point in a recent Emerson College/RealClearPennsylvania poll. Harris and Trump are closely matched, but a recent Franklin and Marshall College poll indicates that Harris trails Trump by 6 points regarding the economy among registered voters.
The concentrated focus on food prices is pushing Democrats in the state away from their preferred messaging—like abortion.
Wild has adopted Casey’s rhetoric on price gouging, recognizing her constituents’ financial struggles. However, she has primarily concentrated her campaign on reproductive rights and reducing prescription drug costs, topics that resonate better with voters in areas like Northampton County, which has historically leaned Democratic.
“We are on the right trajectory,” Wild stated in a recent interview in downtown Allentown. “The things that were put into place in the last Congress and by this administration to bring inflation down are actually working. I know that it's been a long process, and it seems slower than people like, but we are moving in the right direction.”
Wild is leading Mackenzie 50 to 45 percent in a recent Muhlenberg College poll, which indicates that economic concerns, particularly inflation, dominate voters' minds. This pattern is echoed statewide, as shown in a New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll of likely Pennsylvania voters conducted in early October, with abortion following as the second top issue.
For many Pennsylvanians, the inflation burden is compounded by stagnant wages. The state’s minimum wage is still at the federal minimum of $7.25, even as numerous other states—often far more conservative—have implemented higher minimums.
This combination of economic factors has led to a rise in food insecurity across Pennsylvania, the term used by the Agriculture Department to describe families lacking enough food.
According to Marc Rittle, executive director of New Bethany, the Bethlehem food pantry saw a 90 percent increase in households served from 2022 to 2023—a rise attributed to both high food prices and the end of generous pandemic-related benefits such as the extended Child Tax Credit. Philabundance, a food bank serving the Philadelphia metro area, reported a 25 percent increase in food insecurity within its service area in 2022.
“I’m 69 years old and I’m still working to make ends meet,” said Linda Amodei outside a ShopRite. “I want to quit but I can’t.” Although Amodei, who resides in Philadelphia, cited rising costs as impacting her political views, she stated that crime is her primary concern, which will lead her to vote for Trump.
In Allentown, Caitlin Young, 26, a mother of two expecting a third child, shared her experience of resorting to government assistance recently due to the high cost of living—one of several factors influencing her decision to vote for Trump in 2024, just as she did in 2020.
“I actually had to go on food stamps,” said Young, a registered Democrat, while unloading her groceries from a Giant grocery store in Wild’s district. “That's just so I can make healthy, homemade meals every night for my kids.”
While she had not heard about any specific plans from Trump to reduce grocery prices, she expressed hope that he would take action. “It's ridiculous. I know I shouldn’t be paying almost $6 for a gallon of milk."
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
