As the country inches closer toward Election Day, voters are homing in on specific issues that may decide the fate of Congress and several state governments in November.
The Washington Examiner is tracking which issues are on the top of voters’ minds as they prepare to head to the polls, particularly in key battleground states that could bring a shift in power to the federal government. Specifically, we’re tracking how voters are researching our top five issues — abortion, crime, education, inflation, and taxes — and how these interests fluctuate as we get closer to Election Day.
MIDTERMS 2022: TRACKING THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO VOTERS AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY
Below, you can track the interest of each of our key issues on a rolling 30-day basis in the battleground state of New Hampshire. The Washington Examiner will be updating this page as interests and voting concerns change.
Key races we’re watching in the state:
New Hampshire has long been viewed as one of the most competitive swing states in the country, with the purple seat consistently switching back and forth between sending Democrats and Republicans to Congress.
Three of New Hampshire’s Congress members are up for reelection this year, and each of them is a Democrat. As a result, both parties have poured millions of dollars into the state as Democrats seek to fend off efforts by Republicans to flip the seats red and gain control of Congress in November.
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) has especially come into the spotlight, as Republicans view her as a possibly vulnerable incumbent. Elsewhere, Reps. Ann Kuster and Chris Pappas (D-NH) are also seeking to hold on to their seats against challengers from the Right.
New Hampshire also became the center of Democrats’ strategy to meddle in GOP primaries that elevates far-right candidates who have questioned or denied the results of the 2020 election, boosting rivals they see as easier to defeat in the general election. Democrats have spent more than $3.3 million in New Hampshire alone as part of those efforts, according to data compiled by the Washington Post.
Education
Education emerged as a top concern among New Hampshire voters over the last month as of Sept. 9, according to internet searches recorded and analyzed by Google Trends. Data show internet searches regarding education spiked near the middle of August before tapering off. The issue spiked again at the beginning of September, likely coinciding with the start of the new school year.
Those numbers reflect a nationwide spike in internet searches regarding education, as most states saw similar data results during the same time frame.
Crime
Crime tied with education as the top issue for New Hampshire voters, spiking significantly near the beginning of September.
Republicans have sought to paint Democrats as being too “soft on crime” throughout the midterm cycle, and the party may have an advantage because it is typically considered to be better at handling crime, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll from April. That is a shift from previous sentiments that viewed both parties as capable of handling crime.
Taxes
Taxes emerged as a top issue during the first week of September before experiencing a steep drop on Sept. 8. The issue remained one of voters’ top three priorities throughout August.
Internet searches related to taxes had their highest spike on Aug. 16, likely coinciding with the announcement of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation was championed by many New Hampshire Democrats, including Pappas, who called the bill “what’s right for New Hampshire.”
Abortion
Abortion alternated as one of the lowest-searched topics among New Hampshire voters in mid-August, but it began seeing renewed interest at the beginning of September.
New Hampshire is the most pro-abortion swing state in the country, with roughly 6 in 10 voters opposing the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a poll by the University of New Hampshire. All three congressional Democrats — Hassan, Pappas, and Kuster — have made abortion central to their campaigns, warning against a federal abortion ban if Republicans are elected to Congress.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Inflation
Inflation appeared to be at the top of voters’ minds in the middle of August but later tapered off as the month went on. Internet searches on the topic wavered by mid-August, with two small spikes in the last week of the month.
Republicans have long focused on inflation as a key voter concern in the midterm election cycle, pointing to soaring inflation rates under Biden. However, inflation has become less of a concern after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, offering Democrats relief and posing a challenge to Republicans as they formulate new strategies.
