Affordability dominates US midterm campaigns as voters head to the polls Tuesday

Americans head to Tuesday's midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, with affordability and rising living costs dominating voter concerns.

• Lorain county, Ohio public sector workers have been on strike since February 2026, the longest public sector strike in Ohio history.
• Striking worker Gina Jones said wages no longer provide a living wage, with family healthcare coverage costs rising from $35 to $600 a month.
• AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler said the labor movement has raised workers' cost-of-living issues for decades and now sees every campaign addressing them.
• A United for Alice report found 41.3% of US households, more than 54.5 million, faced financial hardship in 2024.