Midterm campaign dominated by concerns over high prices draws to a close

Financial concerns have been the most pressing issue for voters in four of six midterm elections this century. But with the war in Iran and tariffs driving up gas prices, inflation and mortgage rates, concerns seem deeper, more desperate and decidedly at the center of the final days of the hard-fought campaign that will decide control of Congress.

Democrats blame President Trump for starting a war with Iran and imposing tariffs that have driven up prices, while Republicans insist the economy’s fundamentals are stronger than before they took office two years ago. And polls show that pocketbook issues are once again at the forefront of many voters’ minds.

If presidential elections are about a vision of the future, midterm elections give voters the opportunity to weigh in on a president, a Congress and, almost always, the economic health of the nation.

In dozens of interviews across the country in recent days, Americans across the political spectrum have detailed the financial gymnastics of keeping pace with rising rents and utility bills, as well as rising prices for gasoline, groceries and even Halloween candy. Many voters blamed Mr. Trump and his party directly for the high cost of living.

“The prices of everything we usually buy have gone up dramatically,” said Dwayne Stanford, a father of eight from suburban Cincinnati who chose only Democratic candidates in early voting in his state. “It’s just everyday things.”