Government corruption has emerged as one of the final major concerns for voters ahead of Tuesday’s US midterm elections. A Fox News poll conducted in October found that 88% of voters were “extremely” or “very” concerned about corruption in government, while a Harris survey for The Guardian reported that nine in ten Americans viewed it as a problem.
The issue has become a central theme of Democratic campaigning. At a rally in Morrow, Georgia, attended by nearly 10,000 people, former President Barack Obama accused Donald Trump and his family of profiting from businesses linked to cryptocurrencies and taxpayer-funded contracts. Obama was campaigning for Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
According to the Harris poll, 76% of respondents believe government representatives are more concerned with enriching themselves than improving citizens’ lives. Corruption ranked as a more important voting issue than immigration, healthcare and artificial intelligence, and was second only to the cost of living in perceived seriousness.
Criticism has focused on the increase in Trump’s personal wealth and that of his family. The article reports that Trump has gained more than $2.2 billion since returning to the White House, mainly through cryptocurrency-related businesses. It also highlights private donations exceeding $300 million for a ballroom being built in the East Wing of the presidential residence, including commitments of $25 million each from Apple and Nvidia.
The concerns extend beyond financial dealings. Questions have also been raised about transparency surrounding files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Political analyst and pollster Frank Luntz said corruption had moved from a marginal concern six months earlier to a decisive issue because many voters believe the system is unfair and no longer works for them.
Ethics-related controversies have affected candidates from both parties. In Texas, Republican Ken Paxton’s integrity has been questioned in the Senate race. In Ohio, a campaign advertisement by Republican Vivek Ramaswamy against Democratic candidate Amy Acton was followed by a scandal involving allegations of sexual abuse. Other disputes include claims about Republican Senator Roger Marshall’s residence in Kansas, allegations of fraud involving a Democratic Senate candidate in Minnesota and an investigation in Alaska into whether a campaign sought a candidate with a name similar to that of Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
The Brennan Center for Justice found that references to government ethics in television advertising reached their highest levels in 14 years. Nearly 24% of advertisements in House races and 16% of Senate campaign advertisements mentioned government ethics, an issue that had barely featured in the 2024 presidential campaign.
Voter participation has also been unusually high for a midterm election. More than 51 million people had already cast ballots in person or by mail, 25% more than at the same stage of the 2022 midterms.
Polling aggregators point to a possible Democratic victory, driven by dissatisfaction with the economy, corruption and Trump’s unpopularity. The opposition has a lead of more than eight percentage points in the race for the House of Representatives, where Democrats need to gain four seats to take control. Polls also suggest Democrats could win the Senate, although races remain close in Michigan, Alaska, Maine, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas and Texas.
Sources: El País Internacional.