Voter concern about inflation and prices has surged to its highest level since The Center Square began tracking the issue. According to The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, a nonpartisan public opinion polling firm, 43% of registered voters included inflation or price increases among their top three concerns in June, up from 37% in March.
Inflation and Price Increases
Inflation and price increases topped the list of voter concerns, with 20% ranking it as their top issue, up from 15% in March. Government corruption, economy and jobs, healthcare, and illegal immigration rounded out the top five concerns among registered voters.
The shift comes as the conflict with Iran has disrupted global oil markets and driven up gas and fuel prices. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping route, closed on Feb. 28, 2026, when Operation Epic Fury began, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
U.S. regular gasoline averaged $2.94 per gallon that week, according to EIA data. As of June 11, the national average had climbed to $4.13 per gallon, according to AAA. Ground beef has risen 22%, from $5.55 to $6.75 per pound since January 2025, while ground coffee has jumped 35%, from $7.02 to $9.51 per pound, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data.
Expert Insights
Karlyn Bowman, a distinguished senior fellow emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute, said the findings align with broader national trends. "When inflation is included as a category, it is the top problem in almost every poll these days and concern about it has been rising," Bowman told The Center Square.
The inflation anxiety is playing out against a backdrop of growing pessimism. Sixty percent of voters say the country is headed in the wrong direction, up from 53% in March, while the generic congressional ballot has shifted from a one-point Democratic advantage to a six-point Democratic advantage over the same period.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
