Gas prices become dangerous for GOP

Democrats have hammered Republicans on affordability, especially gas and food prices, as the main issue of the 2026 midterms. They picked a good theme, as a plurality of 47% of registered voters call the rising cost of living the single most important factor in their midterm vote. Democrats now hold their largest lead yet in the polls.

Data centers are a second hot issue, with a large majority of Americans opposing one being built near them. This opposition cuts across party lines. Reflecting one of the major concerns, sixty percent of Americans think that a new data center in their community would raise their electric bills. Voters are also concerned about data centers’ water use, their noise and light pollution, and their effect on residential property values.

For the Republicans, however, time to address these concerns is running out. Election Day is Nov. 3, only 33 days away. Early voting began on September 18 in a number of states, with more being added to the list regularly. The U.S. House already left town until after the midterm elections. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to stay in session only through tomorrow.