Michigan voters tell why everyday costs matter more than economic stats

In swing states voters dont care much about wall street success; they worry about their wallets. Recent data shows 61% think economy is heading wrong way — despite record-breaking markets

Tiesha Blackwell a 24-year old Detroit-area resident shows how high costs change votes: her rent doubled from $575 to $1100‚ and ground-beef price jumped from $2.99 to $4.99. “Im not worse off than four years ago but things are really high out here“ she explains

The US economy looks good on paper — stocks hit new peaks jobs grow fast and inflation dropped below pre-covid levels However day-to-day expenses (like food utilities and housing) keep rising due to worker shortages and supply-chain problems

When I walk into a restaurant that Iʼve been going to years and instead of 50 bucks its 70 bucks‚ I feel like somebody punched me in the face

Michigan stands as key test-ground: its unemployment stays above US average even with job growth. Kamala Harris visited state 10 times since becoming nominee while Donald Trump leads her 46% to 38% on economic issues

• Harris wants to fight price gouging and boost child tax credit
• Trump suggests overtime tax cuts and import tariffs
• Economists say both plans have drawbacks

Stu Billey a UAW member sees things different — his union job now pays $40/hour up from $16 few years back. “Im way better off but it had to do with contract negotiation‚“ he notes. Still many others struggle with basic costs: Devin Jones parents (both army vets) had to move states for cheaper housing