Iran war and rising costs weigh on US midterms as Democrats post early gains

LONDON | 04-11-2026 : The Iran war and rising living costs weighed on the US midterm elections as early results indicated Democratic gains, according to The National. The outlet reported that polling stations began closing on Tuesday night after Americans voted for congressional seats and major state-level offices.

The National described the elections as a test of President Donald Trump’s first two years back in office. Its report linked the economic backdrop to the war, saying US living costs had increased since the conflict began and that petrol, food and other necessities remained expensive.

The supplied report does not establish a final nationwide result or which party will control Congress. Its publication timestamp also precedes the Tuesday-night poll closures described in the text, leaving the precise timing of the reported results uncertain [VERIFY].

War among voters’ leading concerns

According to The National’s account of an October 29 Gallup poll, half of registered voters considered the economy extremely important in this election. Healthcare costs and the Iran war were also among the leading concerns across the 11 issues assessed.

Those findings place the conflict alongside domestic economic pressures in the election debate. However, the supplied report does not quantify how many voters changed their choices because of the war, or establish how much of the reported Democratic gains could be attributed to it.

In interviews conducted by The National, voters repeatedly raised affordability. A Maryland voter identified the economy and the cost of living as her foremost concerns after casting her ballot. Another Maryland voter expressed anger over economic management and hoped the election would mark the beginning of political change.

A Washington resident interviewed by the outlet cited affordability, criminal justice reform and child care. He also criticised the administration’s decision to begin wars he considered unnecessary, while describing increases in the prices of fuel, food and clothing.

Karrenthya Simmons, who was seeking re-election to a neighbourhood advisory council, told The National that housing costs were a concern for both renters and prospective buyers. She also highlighted the broader expense of food and everyday living.

Early gains, with the outcome unresolved

The National reported early Democratic victories in the north-east and in Illinois, Georgia and Delaware. It also reported a projected Democratic pickup of a Republican-held Senate seat in North Carolina, where incumbent Thom Tillis was not seeking re-election.

Trump was not on the ballot, but the outlet said he had urged supporters to vote as though he were. In his final appeal on Monday, he portrayed the country’s condition positively and emphasised the importance of the midterms.

The National noted that the incumbent president’s party typically loses seats in midterm elections. The scale of Republican losses, rather than the early indications alone, remained central to its framing of the vote as a measure of public satisfaction with Trump’s performance.

Sources: The National.