As the midterms approach, economic concerns dominate voters' minds, with high grocery prices and housing costs emerging as key factors influencing their decisions.
With the economy remaining the primary issue for voters, a recent Fox News national poll reveals that high prices will significantly impact their ballot choices this fall. The survey shows that 66% of voters cite grocery prices as a major problem for their families, a rise from 62% in May. Similarly, housing costs have become a concern for 60% of voters, a significant increase from 47% in May. This 13-point jump is evident across various demographic groups, including men, White voters, and Republicans.
Rising prices have become the single most important factor driving voter motivation. Four out of ten voters (39%) indicate that high prices will be the primary issue influencing their vote, followed by immigration (32%), stopping the opposing party from winning (29%), abortion (27%), and violent crime (26%).
High Prices Drive Voter Concerns Ahead of Midterm Elections
The economy remains the dominant issue for most voters (39%), with immigration (16%) and abortion (15%) trailing. Notably, Democrats prioritize abortion (27%) and preventing the other side from winning (37%), while Republicans and independents highlight immigration (50% and 27%, respectively) and high prices (49% and 40%).
Former President Trump holds an advantage on two key issues: the economy and immigration. More voters trust Trump to handle the economy (by 5 points) and immigration (by 10 points), while Vice President Kamala Harris is considered better on abortion (by 16 points).
While Trump leads on the economy, Harris gains ground on assisting the middle class, with 9 points in her favor. Pollster Daron Shaw explains that while the issue profile favors Trump, his edge on economic issues has diminished due to Harris's focus on housing costs and taxes.
Overall, Harris has a narrow 2-point lead in the head-to-head matchup with Trump (50%-48%), within the margin of error. Dana Blanton, who leads the Fox News polling unit, suggests that the close race is due to a small number of voters who support both candidates due to differing priorities.
Voters perceive Trump's policies during his presidency more favorably than Biden's. By 17 points, more voters view Trump's policies as helpful, while 24 points believe Biden's policies are harmful. This perception weighs on Harris's campaign, as her message of "turning the page" attempts to counter this sentiment.
While 39% of voters believe that imposing tariffs on products hurts the economy, 36% say it helps. Two out of ten voters have no opinion. Despite negative views on the economy and high prices, 41% of voters remain optimistic about the future for the next generation, a significant increase from 25% in 2020.
The Fox News poll was conducted from September 13-16 among 1,102 registered voters. The sample reflects the demographics of registered voters and has a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points.
