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The economy and inflation are among the top issues in the midterm elections, and voters are expected to favor Republicans for improving the economy, according to recent polling data.
And while these issues are top of mind for many voters, issues like abortion rights and threats to democracy are also driving Americans to the polls.
Eighty-one percent of voters are “very dissatisfied” or “somewhat dissatisfied” with the state of the economy, according to a Nov. 4 NBC News poll.
Although the labor market has remained strong under President Joe Biden and has regained all the jobs lost in the coronavirus pandemic, persistent inflation and threats of an impending recession may have soured the economic outlook for the ‘average American.
Inflation has fallen from a four-decade high earlier this summer but remains historically high, despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts this year to tighten monetary policy.
Many Republican congressional candidates have taken advantage of the complicated inflation situation and criticized the Democrats’ handling of the economy by highlighting the impact of inflation on American families.
According to a recent Washington Post-ABC poll, voters trust Republicans more to fight inflation and manage the economy. 52% of voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on the economy, and 50% of likely voters trust Republicans to handle inflation, while only 38% trust Democrats.
Beyond economic issues, outrage over the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade, which protected the right to abortion on constitutional grounds for nearly half a century, galvanized the left and in the summer seemed to offer the Democratic candidates a path to midterm victories. . Although the path has been choked by Republicans blaming Democrats for decades of high inflation and an economic recession, abortion remained a central issue of the campaign until the end.
According to a Washington Post-ABC poll, 22 percent of voters said abortion was the most important issue this election cycle, trailing only 26 percent of voters who cited the economy.
In the survey, 21 percent of voters named threats to democracy as the most important election issue, tied with inflation.
Republicans have also been vocal about crime on the campaign trail, blaming Democrats, especially those who run big cities, for rising rates of gun violence since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the poll, 54% of voters trust Republicans on crime issues, although only 14% of respondents listed it as their top priority. Immigration lagged behind at 9 percent.