High prices and war with Iran complicate Republican positions ahead of US Congressional elections

High prices and an unpopular war with Iran are complicating the situation for Republicans ahead of the US midterm elections, in which the party risks losing control of Congress.

According to the AP-NORC poll, only 26% of Americans approve of Trump's economic policies and 17% approve of his actions to combat the high cost of living, while 65% of respondents believe that the White House's policies have contributed to rising prices in the country.

The independent Cook Political Report revised its estimates of 15 House races toward the Democrats, and among likely voters in the 37 most competitive districts, 49% are willing to support Democratic candidates and 47% are willing to support Republicans.

WASHINGTON, October 3 - RIA Novosti. High prices and an unpopular war with Iran are complicating the position of Republicans ahead of the midterm elections in the United States, in which the party risks losing control of Congress, RIA Novosti found out based on the latest polls and the layout in key electoral districts.

The midterm elections will take place in exactly one month - November 3rd. Americans will have to completely re-elect the House of Representatives and determine the owners of 35 seats in the Senate. Republicans now control both chambers, but Democrats only need three more seats to win the House majority.

The traditional US pattern of midterm elections also plays against the party of the current president. During Trump's first term in 2018, Republicans lost 41 seats and control of the House of Representatives. This time, Americans' dissatisfaction with the economy is added to the historically unfavorable factor for the party in power.

According to a poll released Oct. 1 by the joint Associated Press-NORC Public Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (AP-NORC), only 26% of Americans approve of Trump's economic policies and 17% approve of his actions to combat the high cost of living. At the same time, 65% of respondents believe that the White House’s policies directly contributed to the rise in prices in the country.

The rise in fuel prices remains especially noticeable. The average price of gasoline in the United States reached $4.41 per gallon by early October, making September the most expensive month on record for the American Automobile Association (AAA). The organization attributes high prices, among other things, to expensive oil and instability around the Strait of Hormuz.

The problem of expensive fuel is closely connected with another topic that is vulnerable to Republicans - the unpopular war with Iran. 71% of Americans do not approve of the White House’s actions towards the Islamic Republic, and 69% believe that the war was not worth the United States’ participation in it, according to the same AP-NORC poll.

The problems of the White House are already noticeable on the electoral map, RIA Novosti found out. The independent nonpartisan publication Cook Political Report, which specializes in analyzing American elections, on September 25 revised its estimates of 15 races for seats in the House of Representatives - all in favor of the Democrats. Of the 22 undecided districts, 17 are currently controlled by Republicans and only five by Democrats.

The shift is also noticeable in polls. Among likely voters in the 37 most competitive districts, 49% are ready to support Democratic candidates, 47% are ready to support Republicans, according to a Cook Political Report study. Two years ago, Trump collectively won these same counties by five percentage points.

Republicans are trying to offset the unfavorable dynamics with financial advantages. According to the analytical company AdImpact, cited by the Financial Times, Republican structures have reserved about a billion dollars for political advertising before Election Day, versus about $730 million for Democrats.