As the country inches closer toward Election Day, voters are homing in on 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 Wisconsin. The Washington Examiner will be updating this page as interests and voting concerns change.
Key races we’re watching in the state:
There has been increased focus on the battleground state of Wisconsin as Republicans are seeking to maintain their majority of congressional offices in the state while also gaining the governor’s mansion.
Most notably, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Mandela Barnes as the Left seeks to unseat the Republican incumbent to gain control of the upper chamber in November. The race is deemed a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Elsewhere, Democrats are seeking to hold on to one of their only House seats in the state after Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) announced he would not be running for reelection. Republicans view his district as a pick-up opportunity after new redistricting has given the GOP an advantage.
Further down the ballot, Gov. Tony Evers is vying for reelection as he prepares to face Republican challenger Tim Michels. Republicans are hoping to unseat the Democratic incumbent in order to gain control of both the state legislature and the governor’s mansion.
Crime
Crime has maintained one of the top issues among Wisconsin voters throughout August and September, becoming the top issue as of Sept. 10, according to internet searches recorded and analyzed by Google Trends.
The issue has become central to the governor’s race, as 88% of state voters have said they are “very” or “somewhat” concerned about crime, according to a poll from Marquette University Law School in August. Michels has accused Evers of being too soft on crime, telling Fox6 News he is a “governor who I believe coddles criminals.”
Evers fired back, pointing to policies he has supported that allocate revenue toward police and fire departments.
Education
The issue of education also saw renewed interest throughout August, with two major spikes on Aug. 16 and Aug. 25, likely coinciding with the start of the new academic year.
Education has also been a focal point of the governor’s race in Wisconsin, with Evers announcing plans to allocate an additional $90 million in COVID-19 aid to go toward schools in order to retain teachers. Michels criticized the move, calling it a ploy to “pretend to care about education.”
Evers has often clashed with the GOP-led legislature, with lawmakers repeatedly rejecting calls from the governor to increase education spending. Republicans have also criticized Evers for his COVID-19 policies, decrying the incumbent for not reopening schools earlier in the pandemic.
Taxes
Taxes emerged as a top issue among Wisconsin voters, experiencing a number of spikes in interest during the last week of August and the first week of September.
One of the most highly searched terms during that time period related to tax cuts both Barnes and Johnson have proposed as a way to combat rising inflation in the state, which may have contributed to the increase in internet searches.
Searches including Barnes and taxes may also be related to resurfaced reports from 2018 that the Senate candidate had earned so little that he paid nothing in income taxes and was a recipient of the state’s Medicaid program. While some sought to use that as an attack, Barnes embraced the story as evidence he understood how important the welfare program was for the state.
Inflation
Inflation was one of the top issues among voters in mid-August before tapering off by the beginning of September.
Both Republican and Democratic candidates have sought to make inflation a key focus of their campaigns, with 67% of Wisconsin voters saying they find it to be a very concerning issue, according to the Marquette University Law School survey.
Republicans have long focused on inflation as a key voter concern in the midterm election cycle, pointing to soaring inflation rates under President Joe 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.
Abortion
Abortion alternated as one of the lowest-searched topics among Wisconsin voters despite the issue heating up in the state legislature.
The issue of abortion became central to several candidates’ campaigns after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this summer, setting up a battle between Evers and Michels who stand on opposite sides of the issue. Michels has painted himself as an anti-abortion advocate, aligning himself with the views of the GOP-controlled legislature.
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Meanwhile, Democrats are seeking to hold on to the governor’s mansion. Evers stands as the last line of defense against abortion restrictions passed by the state legislature. The incumbent has consistently vetoed anti-abortion laws passed by state lawmakers over the last several years.
