Voters give the nod to Republicans on inflation, economy: poll

For Democrats, the hits keep coming. 

Voters continue to overwhelmingly prefer Republicans to handle many of the top issues facing the country, including inflation, the economy and crime, according to a poll released Sunday — just 16 days before the midterm election.

Americans struggling with sky-high gas prices and grocery bills prefer Republicans over Democrats (36% to 21%) to deal with inflation, which has reached 40-year highs, the ABC News/Ipsos poll found. 

On the economy, 36% of voters choose Republicans to do a better job, compared to the 24% who trust Democrats — but 31% say they don’t have faith in either party. 

When it comes to crime — which has become a rallying issue for GOP candidates across the country — Americans give Republicans the nod over Democrats (35% to 22%).

The ABC News survey is the latest poll that finds Republicans are surging in the final weeks before the Nov. 8 elections that will decide the balance of power in Congress — propelled by Americans’ distress over the economy, the toll of inflation and escalating crime rates across the country. 

In a Morning Consult/Politico poll released last Wednesday, a whopping 93% of voters said they were “concerned” with inflation. 

The polls also reveal that Republicans, benefitting by their focus on these issues, have solidified gains in the past few months and are now favored over Democrats in the midterms.

But Democrats — although hindered by President Biden’s anemic job approval ratings that have been hovering in the 40s and gas prices that are on the uptick again — do find support from voters on their handling of abortion (46% to 26%), climate change (40% to 16%), gun violence (38% to 24%), and the coronavirus (30% to 20%).

Democrats sought to make abortion a top issue in the midterm elections after the Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, but its importance among voters appeared to stall in August as inflation and the economy gained steam. 

The parties are nearly evenly split on the question of immigration, with Republicans edging out Democrats 35% to 32%, and on taxes, with 30% saying Republicans would do a better job versus 28% for Democrats, according to the ABC poll.

Asked whether their vote in the midterms will hinge on their views of former President Donald Trump or Biden, 48% say it won’t be about either of them, while 30% say the president and 19% say Trump. 

The poll surveyed 686 people between Oct. 21-22. 

It has a plus/minus 4 percentage points margin of error.