EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 According to the El Paso County Elections Department, more than 135,000 people have voted in person since early voting began.<\/p>\n
The El Paso County Elections Department said another 7,300 people have voted by mail. Voters said that rising costs are among the issues on their minds.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur bills are going to be more expensive. We have a monopoly with electricity right here,\u201d one voter said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThings keep getting up more and more. Gas, groceries, you name it,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n
Christopher Stockdale said he and his family are feeling the pressure of higher costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a father of two kids right now, wife\u2019s a teacher, and even then, we\u2019re managing to just barely scrape by,\u201d Stockdale said.<\/p>\n
AAA reports the average gas price in the past year rose from $2.88 to $4.06 per gallon. Grocery costs are also a concern. <\/p>\n
Cost of living and affordability take center stage for El Paso voters<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A study <\/a>by UTEP and El Pasoans Fighting Hunger <\/a>found that 35% of El Pasoans faced food insecurity. Kris Yagel, interim CEO of El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, said that figure has since increased.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen in the last two years, actually, is 35% food insecurity in 2025. That number has jumped to 40%,\u201d Yagel said.<\/p>\n The food bank serves three counties and provides food assistance to more than 166,000 people. Yagel said demand has remained steady, even as more people say they need help.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though more people need food, they\u2019re less likely, in some stretches of that number, to come and get the services that we provide and our pantry partners provide. And we don\u2019t know what\u2019s driving that,\u201d Yagel said.<\/p>\n Andrew Physics picks up food from the food bank each week, sometimes on behalf of family members who cannot go themselves. He said the need continues as the cost of housing, food and other necessities rises.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially with the rise in cost of housing, food, and just general life necessities, there has been a continuous number of people,\u201d Physics said.<\/p>\n Affordability is a key focus for local and state candidates, including U.S. Senate in Texas Democratic nominee James Talarico.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s why we can\u2019t afford the basics in this economy, because the system has been rigged by politicians just like Ken Paxton,\u201d Talarico said.<\/p>\n From our sister station in Amarillo, Texas Attorney General and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Ken Paxton is taking his stand on affordability. <\/p>\n \u201cEverything costs more. Everything is up except their paychecks. My agenda is simple: I\u2019m going to fight so every Texan can buy a home and raise a family,\u201d Paxton said.<\/p>\n For voters like Stockdale, the cost of everyday necessities is more than a campaign issue.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we can get the right people in charge to hopefully start making a change and make life easier again, that would be fantastic,\u201d Stockdale said.<\/p>\n Marisol Najera-Bustillos is a college student who took interest in this election. <\/p>\n \u201cThere are things that we need to take into consideration, and I would like to be a part of choosing those candidates that just care about everyday lives,\u201d Najera-Bustillos said.<\/p>\n