Grand Canyon Times

According to national data, Phoenix has the highest inflation rate of any metropolitan area in the U.S., with the Consumer Price Index climbing 13% during the past year, compared with 8.3% nationwide.

Those numbers may not bode well for Senate candidates who are up for re-election this fall, such as Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly, strategists said. Kelly is up against Republican Blake Masters this November.

"Democratic strategists have worried since the spring that pockets of high inflation, particularly in the West and the South, could complicate their efforts to hold the Senate," Axios said July 14 in a Twitter post.

Phoenix, with its rising inflation, is home to roughly two-thirds of Arizona's voters, Axios reported. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data on Tuesday, which showed an 8.3% all items annual increase, which represents a 0.1% rise from August. Some of the largest contributors were increases in the indexes for shelter, food and medical care, the BLS said.

Another issue is gas prices, which continue to hover around $4.05 per gallon in Arizona. The American Automobile Association (AAA) reported in February that Arizona has had some of the nation’s highest gas prices this year.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, prices have been worse in battleground states such as Arizona, meaning voters are feeling the price pinch, and may vote with their wallets come November. 

"During an already volatile midterm year for Democrats, inflation concerns have prompted the party to focus its messaging on lowering costs and cutting taxes," Axios wrote.