Financial worries have become the most pressing issue for voters in four of the six previous midterm elections this century. In the current campaign’s closing days, the war in Iran and tariffs are pushing up gas prices, inflation and mortgage rates, making those concerns feel more urgent as control of Congress is at stake. Midterms often serve as a verdict on a president, Congress and the nation’s economic health.
Democrats are criticizing President Trump over the war with Iran and tariffs that they say have raised prices. Republicans argue that the economy’s fundamentals are stronger than they were before the party took power two years ago. Polls show pocketbook issues remain at the top of many voters’ minds.
Interviews with Americans across the political spectrum in recent days described the strain of keeping up with rent, utility bills and rising costs for gas, groceries and even Halloween candy. Many voters blamed Trump and his party directly for the high cost of living.
Dwayne Stanford, a father of eight in suburban Cincinnati who voted only for Democratic candidates during early voting in his state, said prices for everyday purchases had risen sharply. “The prices of everything we normally buy have gone up and up dramatically,” he said, adding that it was “just the everyday stuff.”
Sources: The New York Times Politics.