Tom Barrett

STORY: When Republican Tom Barrett launched his bid to represent Michigan's 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2023, he complained about high gas prices.

Nearly three years later, average prices in Michigan are back near $4 a gallon, up 28% since the Iran war began...

"Like I said, I can't even know what the price of gasoline is going to be and nobody can..."

...and Republicans such as Barrett - who won his seat in Congress - are playing defense.

"But that doesn't mean that you know, I can wave a magic wand and change the price of gasoline tomorrow. What are we going to do about it? We're going to make domestic policy that ensures that we produce the maximum amount of our own fuel oil and other things that we rely on here."

The vulnerability is especially acute for Barrett, who represents one of the country's most competitive districts, which covers the area around Lansing, Michigan.

President Donald Trump and his energy secretary Chris Wright have acknowledged that gasoline prices could remain high through Election Day in November.

"So, no administration, no administration has focused more on energy affordability than this Trump administration."

Wright told lawmakers the administration was working hard to bring down energy costs.

Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro hit back.

"You're talking about energy efficiency? This is -- this is an administration that decided on a war of choice in Iran and driving up these prices. I don't know if anybody thought about the consequences."

For many Republican candidates, the rise in gasoline prices has upended a central campaign strategy.

Republicans will defend narrow majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in November.

The party in power often loses seats in midterm elections, and the latest Reuters poll shows President Donald Trump's approval rating holding at 36%, the lowest of his term.

Dismal approval and high prices paint a stark picture for Republican candidates, and an opening for Democrats.

"We're reminding people that this is the case."

Bridget Brink is seeking the Democratic nomination to take on Barrett in Michigan's 7th District.

A former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Brink has sought to focus on cost-of-living challenges facing voters.

"We have to focus on putting money back in people's pockets and not just doing gimmicks that sound good politically, but in reality are not producing a result."

The latest Reuters/Ipsos polling shows that only 36% of Americans support the war in Iran.