TOLEDO, Ohio — “We were told that it was going to be different,” said Alan Isbell of Toledo as he headed in to vote in Ohio’s primary, summing up a common feeling about the rising cost of living. Isbell lives in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, a competitive seat that could play a role in control of the U.S. House this fall.
NPR spoke with voters across Toledo to hear how inflation, high gasoline prices and grocery bills are affecting everyday choices. Many people described rethinking what they buy and how far they travel. Hallie Tembo said her family has been stocking their pantry with staples like beans and canned fruit and is reconsidering a planned drive to visit relatives in Cleveland because fuel costs have climbed.
The financial strain is widely shared. A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found more than eight in 10 Americans say pump prices are putting a strain on household budgets, and a strong majority blame President Trump. The concern cuts across party lines: four out of five Republicans in that poll also say gas prices are hurting their budgets.
Republican voter Elizabeth Day, also on her way to the polls, blamed the war in Iran for higher gas prices and said she’s clipping coupons and shopping carefully to stretch her budget. “I think they will do their best to get the federal government to bring prices down as much as they can,” she said, expressing support for President Trump’s approach.
The 9th District has been represented by Democrat Marcy Kaptur since 1983, but a new redistricting map enacted last year favors Republicans and has made the seat a key target for the GOP. In November, Kaptur is set to face GOP nominee Derek Merrin, whom she narrowly defeated in 2024.
Ohio’s political stakes extend beyond this district. The state will also choose a new governor after Republican Mike DeWine announced he will retire. The GOP nominee, Vivek Ramaswamy, will face Democrat Amy Acton in a race that observers say will test whether Republicans can hold statewide offices even as national approval numbers for President Trump fluctuate.
For many Toledo voters, the immediate concern is day-to-day affordability: covering gas, food and other household costs. Those pressures are shaping shopping habits, travel plans and, for some, how they approach the ballot box as November’s midterms near.