Eighty-year-old Rick Russman of New Hampshire spent five decades as a Republican.
This year, as his state braces for a winter of soaring heating oil costs, he will vote for Democrat Chris Pappas in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races.
For Russman, a resident of Kingston, the situation has become so dire that he will rely on a wood stove to help heat his home this winter rather than on heating oil alone.
“Fuel that costs more than $6 a gallon is a huge expense,” he said.
High heating oil prices are a potent issue in northern states that depend on the fuel like Maine, New Hampshire and Alaska, which have competitive Senate races on November 3 that could determine whether Trump’s fellow Republicans maintain control of Congress, according to Reuters interviews with 15 voters, candidates and strategists.
Democratic candidates have sought to tie the higher costs to Trump’s war with Iran, which has disrupted global diesel supplies.
The shortage drove prices for diesel, which is similar to heating oil, to a record high above $6.50 a gallon, making groceries and consumer staples more expensive.
Reuters was first to report this week that the US Energy Department released heating oil from reserves in the Northeast.
When asked about criticism that Trump’s policies have led to soaring heating oil costs that could make Republicans vulnerable, the White House pointed to that fuel release, a move an analyst said was unlikely to affect prices.
Heating oil prices have climbed above $6 per gallon nationally, up from about $3.50 a year ago, according to the Energy Information Administration.
The costs are a headwind for Republicans, said Lance Dutson, a Republican strategist in Maine. “The party in power is held responsible for things like that, and it’s so clearly Trump’s fault because of this Iran war.
“Nearly 80% of Americans blame Trump policies for higher costs including energy, according to an October Reuters/Ipsos poll.
In New Hampshire, where 43% of residents use heating oil, Pappas said energy dominates voters’ concerns as he challenges Republican John Sununu.
