As gas prices per gallon reach $4 this spring, independent voters are reflecting on the economy to help make their decisions at the polls in the 2026 midterms. The war in Iran has a role to play in current economics, and the Ford School's Rusty Hills says the effects it's had on personal politics, such as the cost of getting to work, will impact independent voters. When asked if the price at the pump will be enough to sway independent voters, Rusty Hills responded, "I think the answer is yes to that, and as this continues to unfold or worsen, it will open the spigots for the independents to kind of shift towards democrats in the 2026 midterms."
He added, "If you look historically in American political history, there is a pretty strong correlation between gas prices that go up and presidential approval ratings going down. And Trump is so affiliated with the brand that he is the republican party, so as his numbers go down, decline, that's going to have an effect on republicans at the polls in 2026." Hills also noted that Trump will likely utilize the war in Iran to distract the American public from domestic issues. "There's going to be more and more of an inclination for him to look at foreign events to try and take a tension and focus away from problems at home," he stated.
