MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Corruption joins the cost of living as a top concern for US voters

A Fox News poll published in October found that 88% of voters say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about corruption in government

The United States votes on Tuesday in midterm elections in which corruption has emerged in the final stretch as one of voters’ main concerns, second only to the cost of living, according to several polls. At stake are all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and numerous governorships and state legislatures.

A Fox News poll published in October found that 88% of voters say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about corruption in government. Another survey, by Harris for Britain’s The Guardian, found that nine in ten Americans consider it a problem and that 76% believe public officials care more about enriching themselves than improving people’s lives. According to that study, only the cost of living weighs more heavily than corruption in voting decisions, ahead of immigration and healthcare.

“Just six months ago, corruption was not a top issue for voters. A few days out from the midterms, it has absolutely become one of the issues,” pollster Frank Luntz said. The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that references to government ethics in campaign ads have reached their highest level in 14 years: about 24% in House races and 16% in Senate races.

Democratic candidates have focused their criticism on the business dealings of President Donald Trump and his family, particularly in cryptocurrencies, and on private donations of more than US$300 million for the ballroom being built at the White House, including US$25 million each from Apple and Nvidia. Ethics allegations also extend to candidates from both parties: Republican Ken Paxton in Texas, the Democratic Senate candidate in Minnesota over alleged welfare fraud, and the campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola in Alaska, under investigation for allegedly promoting a candidate with the same surname as her rival.

More than 51 million people have already voted early, 25% more than in the 2022 midterms. Polls favour the Democrats, who need four more seats to control the House and at least four more to take the Senate, with close races in Michigan, Alaska, Maine, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas and Texas. Trump closed his campaign on Sunday with rallies in Iowa and Kansas.