US Midterms: War in Iran Dominates Michigan Senate Debate, Linked to Rising Gas and Grocery Prices

DETROIT, Michigan – The economy emerged as the paramount issue in the Michigan Senate debate between Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed and his Republican opponent Mike Rogers, with El-Sayed immediately drawing a distinction between himself and Rogers, who has the backing of US President Donald Trump. The discussion quickly pivoted from interest rates, taxes, or trade policy to the US-Israel war on Iran. "Right now, the cost of gas, the cost of groceries, it all really goes back to this war in Iran," stated the progressive Democrat on Wednesday. "We need a War Powers Resolution rather than a senator who wants to stand hip-to-hip with Donald Trump on this war that made no sense when it started and certainly makes no sense now." El-Sayed was referencing legislative efforts aimed at limiting Trump’s authority to continue the eight-month conflict.

Across Michigan, Democrats are highlighting their opposition to the war to appeal to voters affected by escalating gas and grocery prices. "The war in Iran is a kitchen table issue," commented Jonathan Guyer, programme director at the Institute for Global Affairs (IGA). "Voters don’t often rank foreign policy as their top issue, but I think it’s so interwoven with the economy right now that essentially foreign policy is the economy." An IGA survey released last month indicated that 60 percent of potential voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war. More concerning for Republicans, a substantial majority of respondents – 81 percent – agreed that the conflict has contributed to a higher cost of living.

Higher Cost of Living: Almost immediately after Israel and the US commenced attacks on Iran on February 28, Tehran began disrupting energy product flow through the Strait of Hormuz, causing oil and gas prices to surge. In the US, the price of diesel, essential for powering heavy machinery and trucks that transport consumer goods nationwide, has reached record highs in recent weeks. Similarly, petrol or gasoline has become less affordable, with the average price per gallon rising from under $3 before the war to over $4.27 as of Thursday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). This increased cost of energy and transportation has permeated the broader economy, fueling inflation at a time when affordability is a key electoral issue.

Trump and his supporters have maintained that the war was necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. However, prior to the conflict, Trump himself had stated that Iran’s nuclear program had been "obliterated" by US strikes in June 2025. US intelligence officials have also testified to Congress without evidence of Iran actively building a nuclear bomb. During the Wednesday debate, Michigan Senate candidate Rogers defended the war, stating, "You want to pay $8 [for] a gallon of gas, let Iran get a nuclear weapon. You lose control of that whole region." Paradoxically, Rogers has also called for an end to the conflict. In a recent campaign advertisement filmed in a grocery store, he stated, "The war with Iran needs to end, and end quickly." This stance is mirrored by other Republicans in competitive House and Senate races. In neighbouring Ohio, Senator Jon Husted has advocated for a "quick" conclusion to the war. In Iowa, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, running for the Senate, mentioned telling Trump that the conflict required an "immediate and successful end." In Maine, Senator Susan Collins has pointed to her votes in favour of several War Powers Resolutions.

Despite this, Trump, the Republican Party leader, has suggested a potential resumption of full-scale fighting with Iran after the upcoming midterm elections, promoting the war as a significant achievement. "I think it’s one of the greatest things we’ve done. We’ve stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "It’s one of the best things that we’ve done, and it took a lot of courage to do it because no other president was willing to do it."

'Death Sentence for American Economy': Notwithstanding the war's general unpopularity, most Republicans continue to support it. A Pew Research Center poll from earlier this month showed 63 percent of Republican respondents approving of Trump’s war handling, with an IGA survey from August placing the figure at 74 percent. However, only 34 percent of Republican respondents "strongly approve," a decrease from 40 percent in April. Guyer suggested that this diluted support within the Republican base could impact the party in the upcoming elections. "It means that Republicans aren’t necessarily walking away from the president, but their support for him has a lot less conviction," he told Al Jazeera. "That could have implications if they actually show up to vote [and] if they are going to be involved in campaigning."

With the elections less than two weeks away, Democrats perceive the war as a vulnerability for Republicans, consistently using the conflict to undermine Trump-backed candidates nationwide. At a Senate debate watch party in Detroit on Wednesday, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who had recently visited the Middle East, addressed the war by focusing on the US economy. "Well, diesel prices here in Detroit are already above $6 a gallon, and they’re going to go higher if this war restarts. Mike Rogers just said in the debate that he’s going to support the war, which is basically a death sentence for the American economy," Murphy told Al Jazeera. "There’s a big choice for Michigan voters to make here. If you want this war to continue for another year, if you want gas prices to climb to $8 a gallon, vote for Mike Rogers. If you want the war to end, if you want prices to come down, then vote for Abdul El-Sayed."