Affordability and Government Oversight Shape Final Days of US Midterm Campaign

Affordability has emerged as a central issue ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, as Democrats seek control of Congress and voters weigh higher fuel, housing and utility costs.

Newsweek reported that average gasoline prices have risen to $4.28 a gallon nationwide from $3.05 a year earlier, citing AAA, while the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has increased to 7.32% from 6.19%, according to Freddie Mac. Urban Institute research found that 49% of people in US families cannot cover the expenses needed to live securely in their communities. In Arizona, France 24 reported that cuts to food-stamp benefits have drawn criticism from voters affected by the reductions.

Dan Geary, a US history professor at Trinity College Dublin, told RTÉ that he expects Democrats to win the House and now considers a Democratic Senate takeover more likely than not. He identified Maine, Ohio, Alaska and North Carolina among potential Senate battlegrounds, with Iowa also closely contested. A Wall Street Journal poll identified government graft as another defining concern in the campaign.

A Democratic House would gain committee investigative powers and could intensify scrutiny of prediction markets, their regulator and the industry’s ties to Donald Trump Jr., CNBC reported. Nearly 30 related bills have been introduced in Congress since 2025, but none has passed. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris has returned to the campaign trail as the election approaches, Reuters reported.