Midterm vote is about 'what's best for my family': Voters talk 2026 midterms
ABC News spoke with voters in Alaska, Iowa, New Hampshire and Maine.
The 2026 midterm elections are shaping up to be a referendum on President Donald Trump's policies and performance. ABC News interviewed voters in four key states – Alaska, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Maine – to gauge their concerns. In Alaska, gas prices have reached $24 per gallon, with one retired Army major blaming the Iran war for the high costs.
The war has reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil and gas used to transit. President Trump defended the war, stating it would end soon and prices would come down. However, his poll numbers have plummeted to record lows, with 52% of Americans strongly disapproving of him. In Iowa, energy prices and trade policy are influencing discussions among voters, particularly in the Senate race where Republican candidate Ashley Hinson has criticized the Iran war.
Nebraska and Maine also saw Republicans facing questions about their support for Trump. Maine's Republican congressman Don Bacon accused the president of betraying Ukraine, while independent-minded Republican Sen. Susan Collins has broken with Trump on the Iran war and is seeking a sixth term. The midterm elections appear to be a pivotal moment for voters to express their economic concerns, with many weighing the costs of high prices on their families and the direction they believe the country should take.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News (US)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
