Early voting begins in midterms as campaign shifts focus to cost of living and Iran war – US politics live
Virginia starts early in-person voting today, while Minnesota, Idaho and South Dakota allow voters to cast absentee ballots in person. The midterm elections are 3 November, and Republicans face fights in both the House and the Senate.
The cost of living is the dominant issue. Gas prices sit near their highest since 2022. Mortgage rates are nearing 7%. Consumer prices rose 3.4% in the year to August. Voters are looking at those numbers, not abstract policy debates.
The Iran war and its costs
The conflict is entering its seventh month. Iran still disrupts regional shipping, and the war puts further pressure on global energy prices.
Aaron David Miller, a former adviser on Middle East policy to Republican and Democratic administrations, told Reuters: “We are seeing what happens when a president launches a war of choice without anticipating the unintended consequences.”
Trump attends the UN on Tuesday. He will likely frame the Iran war as a victory, despite initial promises the campaign would end within weeks.
The war is also reshaping defense ties. The Trump administration approved a potential sale of 48 advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. That deal comes with questions about security.
A Defense Intelligence Agency report raised concerns about securing F-35 sites. It noted Chinese military access to Saudi bases and heavy Chinese technology use in Saudi telecom and defense.
Governors push on AI and data
In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro is pushing guardrails on artificial intelligence. In an NBC interview, he said: “We’ve got to regulate this, we have to have real guardrails, we have to understand this technology better.” He also said: “You have to have third parties in the room with these companies, understanding what they’re doing”; “that’s not a time to kick the can down the road.”
Across the country, governors are moving on transparency and energy use. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced tighter data center rules. Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed an executive order on similar issues.
Gavin Newsom told POLITICO he’s considering further AI action before his term ends. He issued an executive order on Friday increasing third-party oversight of AI development.
Name disputes and legal fights
Former US Institute of Peace staff are asking a federal appeals court to stop the name being engraved on its headquarters. Lawyers for the institute’s ousted board members argued that engraving Trump’s name on the building would cause “irreparable harm” by undermining the organization’s independent mission.
A federal judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to give 30 days’ notice before making major changes, including demolition, amid name and renovation disputes. The center is closed due to age and structural deficiencies cited by Trump-backed leadership.
What the midterms will test
The midterms will test whether voters punish or reward candidates on the economy. The Iran war complicates that picture.
Republicans face control of the House and Senate at risk. The Iran war could work in their favor if framed as a victory.
The next three months will shape the final result.
- Cost of living: gas prices near their highest since 2022, mortgage rates nearing 7%, consumer prices up 3.4% in the year to August
- Iran war: conflict enters its seventh month, Iran still disrupts shipping, war puts further pressure on global energy prices
- AI regulation: Shapiro pushes guardrails, Newsom considers further action, Lombardo and Spanberger act on transparency and energy use
Where the paper stands
The paper backs lower mortgage and gas costs for the middle class and small businesses and is against government funds that favor the biggest players or park public money where citizens have no say. The cost of living is the issue voters care about most, and the paper wants policies that actually reduce it, not more talk about it.
The Iran war is dragging on and making energy costs worse. The paper is skeptical of foreign entanglements and backs the deal over the standoff. The Defense Intelligence Agency report on the F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia raises serious security questions, and the paper wants those addressed rather than ignored.
Governors pushing AI guardrails and tighter data center rules are acting on real problems. But the paper wants oversight that is open and effective, not just more executive orders that let officials decide for themselves. The name disputes at the Kennedy Center and the US Institute of Peace show how political decisions can damage institutions and their missions.
Source material: “Early voting begins in midterms as campaign shifts focus to cost of living and Iran war – US politics live,” The Guardian.
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