Nebraska voters ready for Iran war to end

Voters in Nebraska, a strong Republican state, told AFP they are ready for the war with Iran to end as the United States approaches key midterm elections on November 3.

Kristin Benson, a 39-year-old stay-at-home mother who voted for Donald Trump in 2024, said she did not want years of conflict and hoped the war could end within the next year. She said she still believed Trump was “not one to want to stay in it.”

Keir Albert, a 20-year-old cattle rancher who also voted for Trump, said he was ready for the war to be over, while adding that he thought Trump's approach to national security was important and that the president was better for business.

A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll found that eight in 10 Americans believe the war with Tehran has sent gas and other household prices soaring. The poll found that 55 percent of respondents believe the war was a mistake.

Nebraska has two million residents and backed Trump strongly in 2024, when he won nearly 60 percent of the vote there. Even so, AFP reported mounting frustration over Iran among some voters.

Pat Osiecki, a 65-year-old retired contractor, called the war a “waste of money” and said the United States should not act as “the world's police force.”

Sheryl Bach, a 77-year-old retired administrative clerk who said she did not vote in the 2024 presidential election, said she believed the war should never have been started and did not know how it could be fixed.

Other voters described feeling distant from the issue while still feeling the effect of high prices. Crystal Smith, a 46-year-old taxidermist, said she did not have a strong opinion on the war but added that consumer prices were high and “it hurts at the pump.”