(Adnkronos) – High fuel prices linked to the war in Iran – but especially to the one in Ukraine according to President Trump – weigh on American family budgets and threaten to become one of the key issues in the midterm elections. In September, inflation in the United States rose by 3.7%, driven mainly by energy costs. According to data released by the Department of Labor, cited by the Wall Street Journal, gasoline prices have increased by 34% in the last year, while heating oil prices surged by 74% in September.
The impact of price increases varies significantly from state to state. According to estimates from Brown University’s Climate Solutions Lab, since the start of the conflict in Iran, a typical family in Wyoming has incurred an additional annual expense of $975 for gasoline. In Oregon, by contrast, the supplementary cost was estimated at $339: a difference of $636 between the two states.
Consumption habits weigh most heavily, in addition to differences in local prices, transport costs, and refining capacity. In rural areas, the WSJ points out, motorists travel longer distances and often use larger vehicles. This increases exposure to price increases.
The bill is even higher for diesel, which is essential for freight transport and agricultural activities. In Wyoming, the estimated additional family expenditure since the start of the war reaches $2,254, almost five times the national average. Alaska follows with $2,179. Iowa, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, and Texas also recorded increases in diesel costs above the national average.
The burden on family budgets intertwines with the midterm election challenge. Of the nine states where the outcome of the Senate elections is considered uncertain, with the two candidates neck and neck according to polls, seven have recorded increases in family gasoline expenditure above the national average: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Texas. These are states that could prove decisive for the political balance in Congress.
Inflation and the cost of living, as highlighted by all major research institutions, are among the main concerns of voters ahead of the midterms. Dissatisfaction with price increases is helping to make some traditionally Republican areas, such as Kansas and Texas, more competitive, the WSJ notes. California and New York, however, recorded increases in gasoline expenditure below the national average, despite higher pump prices, thanks to generally lower average family consumption. “The determining factor is primarily represented by consumption habits,” said Jeff Colgan, director of Brown University’s Climate Solutions Lab.
