By Sumayya

DALTON, Ga. – At the Oakwood Café, people are not afraid to tell you who they are voting for in the midterm elections.

“Republican Party all the way,” said Mike Hales, a lifelong Republican who supports his country’s tough tax policies and taxes on Canada.

“They have relied on the United States for too long and it is time to stop it,” Hales said about Canada. “If I order something from overseas, or wherever it comes from, I have to pay a tax on it. But I agree with that. It helps the United States.”
Larry Dycus agrees with him.

“I support the tax on Canada,” he said. “I am going to keep voting the same way. I know it has caused difficulties for American people.”

Dalton, a manufacturing town about an hour and a half northwest of Atlanta, calls itself the “Carpet Capital of the World.”
This industry is one of the businesses deeply affected by the trade fight between Canada and the U.S.

Canada has put a series of taxes on American carpets and fabrics, ranging between 25 and 50 per cent, since the start of the argument. Earlier this month, the U.S. changed its 50 per cent tax list to include different kinds of Canadian carpets.

Many companies refused to speak to CTV News about how the taxes have affected them. One person working in the industry, who did not want to reveal their name, said he was scared to speak publicly because of anger from people who support U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump won Georgia in 2024 by 2.2 percentage points. While the Republicans still have a lot of support, local residents say it seems to be dropping.

“I have noticed in those groups that vote Republican that support is shrinking, and in some areas, it is dropping very fast,” said local resident Morgan Jones.

Kasey Carpenter, the owner of Oakwood Café and a Republican state politician for the area, admits that voter anger over the war in Iran and rising prices from the supermarket to the gas station is “hard to ignore.”

He expects a big loss for his political party in the midterm elections.

“I think across the country it is going to be ugly. I hope it is not that bad inside our state,” he said.
Other voters in the city have noticed a change in support for Trump in this traditionally Republican part of the state, and they hope the midterm elections send Trump a clear message.

“I am definitely not voting Republican anymore,” said Kelsey Callahan, who grew up in a Republican family.

“He has kept none of the promises he said he would,” she said. “I do think we will see a change and I am really holding on to that hope because I have a few friends who were huge Trump supporters who said they can no longer support him and they are going to vote differently this time.”

In a disagreement with Trump, Carpenter said he does not like the trade fight with Canada and hopes it can be fixed quickly.

“I understand what he [Trump] is trying to do, but also, you know, we always respect you a lot and many of your people drive through Georgia on their way to Florida to escape the winter,” Carpenter said. “We want to make sure you hear us from Georgia that we are big fans of the Canadians and appreciate what you do. And we are sorry that we are both sort of trapped in this fight.”