The Democrats' strategy to retain the Senate will entail plans to combat inflation and pledges for a revitalized agenda.

• To retain control of the Senate in the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats will highlight their legislative achievements and aspirations.
• Those policies will be argued to be the best solution to voters' concerns about Covid-19, inflation, and the broader economy.
• Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman has stated that if you feel ignored or underappreciated by the Democratic Party, you have the right to do so, as the party has not spent enough time listening to your concerns.

To retain control of the Senate in the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats plan to highlight their legislative achievements and aspirations, arguing that their policies are the best solution to voters' concerns about Covid-19, inflation, and the broader economy.

They can promote their quick action under the successful stretch of President Joe Biden's tenure, as well as a generational investment in the nation's infrastructure.

The party may revive Biden's Build Back Better plan and voting rights legislation, two significant initiatives that have failed despite holding narrow majorities in Congress and the president's approval ratings declining.

Democratic campaigns, incumbents' staff, and political strategists were interviewed by CNBC to discuss how the party can secure victory in 2022. The key to success lies in bringing together all factions of the Democratic Party and its supporters, with a primary focus on addressing the issue of rising costs.

Strategists advise that the party should emphasize its efforts to curb inflation and highlight the benefits of its 2021 policies in boosting consumers' bank accounts. Additionally, they suggest that the message should be accompanied by a criticism of Republicans for hindering those efforts.

CNBC was advised by campaign advisors to have candidates demonstrate their concern for working families and the middle class by implementing policies aimed at reinstating the child tax credit, reducing healthcare costs, and increasing access to child care.

A test in Georgia

The campaign of Sen. Raphael Warnock emphasized various initiatives to reduce expenses and tackle inflation.

The Georgia Democrat has been actively advocating for federal funding for the state's ports, securing over $140 million in grants for affordable housing, and introducing legislation to reduce drug prices in the past 12 months.

Warnock urged his Senate colleagues to support his Capping Prescription Costs Act, stating that it shouldn't be expensive for working people to get their prescriptions filled.

In January 2021, Warnock won his seat in a special election and is currently serving the remainder of a term left vacant by former Sen. Johnny Isakson, who resigned due to health reasons in 2019.

Ultimately, he will confront one of his Republican opponents, such as retired football player Herschel Walker or former Trump administration official Latham Saddler, for the Senate seat.

In addition to being a crucial state for Democrats to maintain their slim Senate majority, there are also other political conflicts taking place in Georgia.

A Georgia judge authorized the establishment of a special grand jury to gather evidence for a criminal investigation into Trump's attempts to change the 2020 election results in Georgia.

Voting rights advocates predict that the new state legislation limiting access to absentee ballots and requiring strong ID could have damaging effects in 2022. Democrats and voting rights advocates argue that these efforts by Republican state legislatures, following Trump's 2020 defeat, are an underhanded attempt to disenfranchise Black voters, a crucial Democratic demographic.

Stacey Abrams' potential entry into the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election could benefit Warnock by drawing attention away from Perdue or Kemp.

Keystone issue: Inflation

The Senate seat in swing state Pennsylvania is closely being watched by political analysts, as Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman aims to succeed Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, potentially giving Democrats a chance to gain a seat.

In December, Jeff Bartos, a Republican candidate for Pennsylvania, informed CNBC that his campaign is focusing on the effects of inflation on Pennsylvanians statewide and curbing what he sees as Democrats' excessive spending.

The rise in costs, which has exceeded wage growth in many areas, has negatively impacted Americans' perception of the economy and affected Biden's approval ratings, making it challenging for the Democrats to maintain control of Congress.

In December 2021, U.S. consumers experienced a 7% increase in the cost of all goods and services compared to the same month in 2020, marking the fastest year-over-year price increase since 1982, according to the Labor Department's latest inflation report.

Democrats are emphasizing their efforts to reduce expenses in response to the narrative. Jazmin Vargas, a representative for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, stated that Democrats running for office will adjust their messaging to focus on cost reduction.

Vargas stated in an interview that the focus of the conversation is on how to assist individuals, enable them to regain financial stability, increase the income of working families, reduce expenses, and also how Republicans are opposing these plans.

The U.S. economy added a record 6.4 million jobs in 2021, rebounding from the Covid-19 recession, and the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill is expected to foster further job gains in the future, she stated.

A delicate balance

The fate of Biden's second term will depend on whether Democrats maintain control of Congress.

The 2022 election results could change the power balance on Capitol Hill, as the Senate is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, and Democrats have a slim 221-212 edge in the House of Representatives.

If the legislature loses one or both chambers, it could jeopardize their ability to pass Biden's economic agenda. However, retaining the legislature could reignite momentum for the party's top priorities, such as the stalled Build Back Better and voting rights bills.

Despite Biden's low approval ratings, the historic tendency for the party in power to lose seats in midterm elections, and a significant number of congressional Democratic retirements, the outlook for Democrats remains dire. In a recent CNBC/Change Research poll, 56% of voters disapprove of the job Biden is doing, which represents the worst such reading of his presidency.

Biden's overall approval ratings are declining due to voter dissatisfaction with increasing costs and the rise in Covid cases caused by the delta and omicron variants.

In December, Anita Dunn, a top Democratic strategist, advised congressional offices to emphasize costs in a memo.

Dunn, who has advised Biden as a candidate and as president, wrote that the party should emphasize its ability to connect with everyday Americans and attack Republicans for opposing popular policies. She urged the party to be specific and focus on how the GOP is hindering policies that reduce costs for working families, which polls show voters tend to support.

According to Dunn, research demonstrates that the President's popularity and the Democrats' economic plan, particularly in terms of reducing expenses, are gaining support. Additionally, data indicates that the Republicans' opposition to these plans is detrimental to them, and that emphasizing this opposition harms the Republicans in elections and increases the Democrats' approval ratings.

The GOP's opposition to policies that lower costs is more effective than just labeling Republicans as the "party of no," as seen in the rollout of funds related to the infrastructure bill Biden signed in late 2021.

Inflation and infrastructure

Recently, Democrats from both the White House and Capitol Hill have criticized Republicans for changing their stance on transportation funding, which was opposed by the majority of the GOP, but is still promoted in their home districts.

GOP members like @RepKayGranger @SteveScalise @RepClayHiggins and @RepAshleyHinson, who initially voted against the infrastructure deal, are now promoting it in their districts because they recognize its positive impact. White House spokesman Chris Meagher made this statement on Tuesday morning.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote Monday that more than 90% of House Republicans were against the historic infrastructure investment delivered by Pres. Biden and Democratic majorities to rebuild the country. However, this fact is not stopping shameless press releases and tweets from claiming credit as they #VoteNoAndTakeTheDough.

In Pennsylvania, Fetterman has adopted a unique approach to dealing with inflation.

The lieutenant governor of the state frequently contends that national restaurant chains raise their prices to accommodate workers' calls for higher wages.

In July, Fetterman tweeted that Chipotle raised the price of a burrito by 32 cents to cover it. He added that although no one would miss the extra 32 cents, millions of workers would finally earn a basic, dignified income with this change.

Fetterman has campaigned in some Pennsylvania Republican counties, speaking to communities that voted for Trump and those he believes have been neglected by the federal government. He prefers the label "populist" to "progressive."

In his announcement of his Senate bid in February 2021, he addressed the rural areas of his state, stating, "If you feel overlooked or undervalued by the Democratic Party, you have the right to do so. We as a party have not given enough attention to your concerns."

The Democratic Party has a slim majority in Congress.