Democrats up 7 points on the economy over GOP: Poll

Democrats are ahead 7 points on the economy over Republicans, according to a new poll.

In The Economist/YouGov poll , 39 percent of respondents said they believe Democrats do “a better job handling” the economy, while 32 said the same of Republicans. Fifteen percent said both parties handle the economy “about the same” and another 15 percent were unsure.

As the midterms near, a number of Democrats have made affordability a key plank of their campaigns, especially amid the Iran war’s effects on the cost of living and wider concerns about the economy.

Since the start of the war in Iran, oil and gas prices have risen as the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the global oil industry, has been closed. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas Tuesday evening was about $4.10, up from about $3.16 last year .

Last week, the Trump administration ended summertime smog limits on gasoline earlier than usual in an attempt to offer relief for high gas costs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a waiver approving sales of gasoline that have an increased evaporation potential beginning Sept. 1, rather than in mid-September.

On top of concerns about how the war has raised prices, the U.S. is engaged in a trade war with Canada, with both countries using tariffs as threats toward each other and Ottawa recently pulling out of trade negotiations.

Another recent poll found that close to a quarter of Americans who voted for President Trump two years ago thought they were in a worse financial position since he returned to office .

The Economist/YouGov poll took place Aug. 24-26 among 1,536 people and had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.