Rising living costs weigh on US voters ahead of midterms
As Americans begin casting early ballots for next week's midterm elections, soaring prices for fuel, medicine and everyday goods are emerging as a major worry.
Voters in Florida say the cost of gas, food, transport and air travel has climbed sharply. A Pew Research Center survey found that 84 percent of early voters ranked the economy as their biggest concern in this election cycle. Fuel prices have risen across the world since the United States and Israel began strikes on Iran in February, and US gas prices rose 9.1 percent in September alone, according to official figures.
President Donald Trump won reelection in 2024 partly on a promise to lower prices, and some voters said they no longer believe it. A William Galston of the Brookings Institution said the president's tariffs and the war on Iran had added to cost pressures. The White House maintains that Trump's policies are revitalising the economy and making life more affordable.
Symeria Hudson, chief executive of United Way Miami, said financial hardship is growing, particularly among the middle class. The organisation's ALICE measure counts working people whose income does not cover basic needs such as food, housing and healthcare.