Iowa Polls Put 6 Electoral Votes in Play as Farm Costs Surge Before Midterms
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 22
Iowa Polls Put 6 Electoral Votes in Play as Farm Costs Surge Before Midterms
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 22
Summary
Polls now suggest Iowa could flip to Democrats next month, a striking shift in a state that helped launch Donald Trump’s rise and has long been reliably Republican.
Nearly doubled diesel costs, rising fertilizer prices and weak corn and soybean sales are squeezing farmers, with one 3,000-acre grower saying a fall fuel fill-up cost $16,000.
Iowa’s broader economy has also deteriorated: high gas prices, elevated interest rates and Trump’s tariff-heavy, unpredictable policies have battered rural areas, while the state contracted in 2025 and posted the nation’s weakest annual growth.
That strain is starting to reshape voting behavior, with some Republicans planning split tickets as Democrats try to turn economic frustration into midterm gains.