Economy takes center stage as Americans share their voting priorities ahead of midterms

Americans in several cities shared their top voting priorities leading into the midterm elections, with the majority citing the economy as their biggest concern.  

“Number one is the economy,” Jason, from Washington, D.C., said. “The economy has got to turn around.”

“I’m sure there are a lot of other things, a lot of things in other people’s minds, but it’s the economy,” Jason added.

The economy shrank for the last two consecutive quarters, a key indicator economists use to determine whether the country is in a recession. The White House has pushed back against that definition, citing job growth. 

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The U.S. added jobs 528,000 jobs in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, far outpacing predictions.

“The economy, yeah, it’s tough right now,” a Milwaukee woman said. 

Inflation hovered around 40-year highs through much of 2022, though it slightly decreased in July after soaring to 9.1% in June, according to the Department of Labor.

While most Americans who spoke with Fox News cited the economy as their top voting issue for November’s midterm elections, other topics were also floated. Those included immigration, health care, abortion and cultural issues, like class and racism.

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“I’m very concerned about what’s going on with women’s reproductive rights,” a Milwaukee woman said.

Many states quickly restricted abortion access after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. Democrats, as a result, have said abortion will be a key issue in November.

One Milwaukee man said preserving “the environment is critical.”

“Sooner or later we’re not going to be able to live in this world,” he told Fox News.

And Carl, who was visiting St. Louis, said: “Health care is something that some people can afford and there are others that can’t afford it. Doesn’t mean if you can’t afford it that you shouldn’t be afforded proper health care.”

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President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law on Tuesday. The legislation authorized $369 billion in spending for climate initiatives and gave Medicare the ability to negotiate prescription drug prices.

One Milwaukee man said immigration was his biggest concern and criticized Biden’s policies.

“He’s letting everybody in,” he said. “It’s not good for the country.”

The Biden administration relaxed immigration policies set during Donald Trump’s tenure as president. Meanwhile, there have been more than two million migrant encounters so far this fiscal year, marking a new record, Fox News previously reported.

One Washington, D.C., voter, Mikah, said he prefers to focus on candidates’ leadership skills.  

“Politicians don’t really follow through with a lot of their promises,” he said. “I think instead of issues, we should be voting on the mindset of who our leader should be.” 

Lisa Bennatan reported from Milwaukee and San Francisco; Megan Myers from Washington, D.C., and St. Louis.; Jon Michael Raasch from Washington, D.C.; and Teny Sahakian from Milwaukee.