Granite State Times

Inflation continues to be a hot topic all around the country, and New Hampshire is no different, with 61% of Granite State residents saying inflation is a concern, according to a recent poll by Saint Anselm College.

The poll also found that President Joe Biden’s approval ratings have begun to stabilize to about 44%, after a 5-point decline over the summer. With the recent poll numbers, the optimism Democrats once had after Biden was elected has diminished. The poll said 68% of respondents believe that the country is the wrong track, with 21% feeling it is on the right track. This could have a big effect on New Hampshire, whose Senate and House seats are completely comprised of Democrats.

“The entire Congressional delegation is now underwater on their job approval, with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen closest to even at 46%-48%,” the poll states. “Sen. Maggie Hassan has continued her slide and now sits at 44%-50%. Congressman Chris Pappas (42%-46%) and Congresswoman Annie Kuster (40%-46%) are in negative territory for the first time in the history of this poll.”

While Gov. Chris Sununu (R) received praise for his handling of COVID-19, at 71% in this category, his job approval has continued to decline to 56% approval, with a disapproval rating of 42%. The approval rating is far lower than the 72% he received in a February poll. This is driven by New Hampshire's partisan polarization, the poll says.

According to a poll by Morning Consult, 75% of Republicans and 50% of Democrats are “very concerned” about rising prices. It also says that 60% of voters hold the Biden administration responsible. 

Nearly nine out of 10 voters nationally are concerned about inflation in some manner, with 60% “very concerned.” Republicans are most likely to be concerned at 93%, but Democrats are also showing a high level of worry at 83%. 

Americans are expecting costs to continue to rise, and some criticize Biden’s spending in his infrastructure bill. More than 60% of Americans expect prices to rise, which is up from 47% in a February poll. Adrienne Elrod, former Hillary Clinton campaign strategic communications director, expressed frustration with the direction costs are heading with the holidays around the corner.

“Forget politics — it’s not an ideal scenario if you can’t afford a turkey or can’t find your canned pumpkin at the grocery store this year,” Elrod told Morning Consult.

An ABC News poll also showed that inflation is bad news for the Democrats’ chances in the 2022 midterm elections, as 51% of voters have said they will be voting Republican and only 41% said they are going Democratic.