Voters in crucial swing state reveal the biggest everyday issue they face that could sink Kamala’s presidential campaign

High grocery prices are fueling a wave of political apathy among undecided voters in Wisconsin, threatening to derail Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.

Jessica Richert and Leland McKnight, a couple from Reedsburg, Wisconsin, had to drive half an hour to the store to get groceries this weekend because all the stores near them were much more expensive.

Because the transmission in their Chevy Tahoe was broken, they had to take their daughter’s Dodge Ram to Jams 2 Bent & Dent, a discount supermarket.

Like many families, they are struggling with skyrocketing expenses. Richert had $9,000 in surgery to remove his adenoids in May, two weeks off work, car trouble, birthday presents for their children, and expenses related to the upcoming school year.

Skyrocketing inflation has disappointed many voters in this key state, and many are unsure whether Harris can solve the crisis.

Richert told the boston globe that politicians will “say anything,” meaning she is skeptical that a new president would lower prices.

“She can say that, but is that really going to happen?” she said, referring to Harris, who accepted the Democratic nomination just a few days ago. “Probably not.”

At the national level, food prices have increased more than 20 percent in the past four years.

Compared to the four years prior to the pandemic (January 2016 through January 2020), grocery store costs were virtually flat and actually declined for much of 2016.

Even though inflation is starting to ease, the price increases since 2020 have largely been permanent and consumers are feeling that at the checkout.

The annual inflation rate fell to 2.9 percent in July, down from a peak of 9.1 percent in June 2022.

Sitting with McKnight in the red pickup truck in the parking lot of the Bent & Dent, Richert said she has never voted.

“I just don’t think it’s worth it,” she said.

McKnight said if he were to vote, it would be for Harris, but he’s not sure he actually will.

According to the Globe, they’re not the only ones traveling 30 miles or more to get better deals on groceries.

The Bent & Dent is a reliable place for local shoppers looking for a bargain, as it sells discounted items. This often means battered tins, expired goods and generic items on the shelves.

A can of Campbell’s chicken soup costs 89 cents at Bent & Dent, while the same dish costs more than $2 at Viking Village Foods, a mile and a half away.

“Anything to save money,” Steve Schara, a loyal customer, told the Globe as he walked into the store this weekend.

Harris and former President Donald Trump know how greedy many people in the country are.

They are particularly aware of the attitudes in Wisconsin, a state that both campaigns say they absolutely must win and where the margins are razor-thin.

Trump has been harassing Biden, and now Harris, for months with his statements about inflation.

Recently he used a small box of Tic Tacs and a larger box side by side to illustrate his point.

Harris unveiled her economic agenda just over a week ago, presenting a plan to ban overpricing in supermarkets.

But LeeAnn Hyzer, a shopper at Bent & Dent, remains disappointed.

“I don’t think there’s anything they can do about it,” she said.

Hyzer, 42, said her monthly food bill for her family of five has skyrocketed from $500 to $800 since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Buying chips and snacks for her kids used to be a thoughtless task, but now “you have to be more aware of what you buy,” she says.

Hyzer is a true undecided voter and reveals that she is not sure who she will vote for in November. However, she is skeptical about either candidate’s ability to address her family’s issues.

Sauk County in particular, where Hyzer lives, is one of the most critical swing counties in the country, with voters there going for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020.

A shocking poll earlier in August showed Harris beating Trump by nine points in Wisconsin.

However, most poll aggregators agree that Harris leads the state by just 1.5 to 2 points, well within the margin of error of most polls.

Amy Estrada, 44, is another potential voter in Wisconsin who has not yet decided whether to vote.

Estrada says she is grateful that as a machinist she makes $22 an hour, while similar jobs in the region pay $16 an hour.

She feels equally fortunate that she is paying $1,100 a month in mortgage payments, rather than renting something comparable for about $1,800 a month.

However, she finds that the bills always pile up towards the end of the month and she is grateful that she has a 15-day grace period on her mortgage.

She added that sometimes payments are made late because the groceries cannot wait.

Estrada’s daughter, who just turned 19, is urging her to vote for Harris, but Estrada isn’t convinced yet.

She sees herself as ‘Switzerland’ in an increasingly polarized America.

“I’m angry about the empty promises,” Estrada said, revealing that the last president she voted for was Barack Obama. “Hopefully, there will be some real results and it won’t be another disappointment.”

Kelly M., a Wisconsin mother who homeschools her six children, told the Globe that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to feed a family of eight on her husband’s income alone.

Rising prices almost feel like you are being ‘punished’ and like there is ‘no end in sight’.

Sales almost entirely determine what her family eats on any given night. She also relies on specials at Bent & Dent and a nearby Aldi.

Kelly, who describes herself as conservative and religious, said she plans to support Trump-Vance, but she still feels far removed from politics.

For her, voting is no longer an aspirational action to bring about change in the country. It is merely her civic duty.

“We have to do this because we are citizens,” she said, adding that she doesn’t expect life to change that much regardless of who is in the White House in January 2025.