Iowa Democrat Senate candidate wants to make state 'liberal' like California
Franken is running against longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat Senate candidate in Iowa wants to make the state more "liberal."
During a campaign event at a high school in Des Moines, Iowa, retired Navy Vice Admiral Michael Franken, the Iowa Democrat taking on longtime Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, said that he wanted to "change" the state to have more "progressive thought" than California.
"Like Iowa used to be," Franken said. "We would swing at ideas well before states like California."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is looking to keep his Senate seat as the Republican nominee. (SUSAN WALSH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
"We were the generators of good ideas," the Iowa Democrat added.
However, Franken’s goal to surpass the Golden State in liberalness may not be the golden messaging he’s looking for as inflation rises nationwide, but especially in California.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S.'s wholesale inflation rate hit 10.8% on Monday, hovering near the all-time high and forcing Americans to make tough decisions with their hard-earned dollars.
One canary in the inflation coal mine is the average price of gas, which has gone over $5 per gallon in the U.S., according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Gas policy is heavily impacted at the state level, which is why California and other states with laws targeting fossil fuels have higher fuel prices.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As of Tuesday, the average price for a gallon of gas in California is $6.438, nearly a buck-fifty more than the national average.
When juxtaposed to the prices from the Hawkeye State, California's gas prices alone are almost $2 more than the current average cost of gas in Iowa, which sits at $4.748 as of Tuesday.
Gas is only one aspect of how California's policies have affected the cost of living in the state. Rental costs are nearly double those of Iowa.
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Rent in the Golden State is anything but cheap, with the average price for a studio apartment costing $1,061, according to RentData.
The same type unit in Iowa has an average rent of $541, RentData notes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Franken's campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.