Ahead of another fraught election cycle, 40 million Americans could see their “October surprise” approaching well in advance: a massive student loan bill. When the Biden-Harris administration resumed student debt payments in October 2023 after a nearly four-year pause, they implemented a one-year grace period. This “on ramp” would spare debtors of the harsh consequences of a missed or late payment — such as falling into default, hits to one’s credit, Social Security and wage garnishment or capitalized interest. A year later, those punitive measures have resumed, plunging debtors back into the throes of the student debt crisis.

But it’s not just student debt that’s burdening our economy and siphoning workers’ paychecks to feed greedy creditors. Household debt has skyrocketed in recent years, forcing Americans to borrow to make ends meet for just about every single need possible: housing, health care, sustenance, transportation or even one’s own incarceration. With a record-breaking $18 trillion of debt weighing families down, folks need a debt jubilee now more than ever. Fortunately, debtors have been organizing around these issues for years, with a track record of forcing politicians to listen.

When it became clear this summer that Vice President Kamala Harris would be the Democratic nominee after Joe Biden was pushed aside by voters and donors alike, the race to complement the ticket began immediately. Battleground governors — from Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper in North Carolina and Andy Beshear in Kentucky — seemed ripe for the picking, but ultimately, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz won over Harris. No doubt Tim Walz’s “dad energy” and pointed........

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