American despair: In Arizona, high home prices and limited prospects shape voters' presidential pick
American voters are hearing both parties promise to help the middle class if they win the election next month
MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Karl Peterson has been living the cruel inverse of the American dream. His rent keeps getting higher, but his apartments keep getting smaller.
Peterson left the Midwest nine years ago for the epicenter of an economic boom, only to gradually learn that endless sunshine and desert views are increasingly among the few bargains left in Arizona. Peterson married his wife, Tani, and they struggled to save for a home, moving through four apartments as their rent nearly tripled from $625 to $1,800 a month.
He does not believe that either presidential nominee, Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump, is addressing the paradox of a country that has never been this wealthy even as so many people see themselves left behind. His trust in government is running low. The negatives of inflation and national division are easier to glimpse than are signs of hope.
Voters like Peterson are at the fulcrum of the electorate in Arizona and the handful of other key states that will decide which candidate wins the White House and which party controls Congress.
