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 California. The Washington Examiner will be updating this page as interests and voting concerns change.
Key races we’re watching in the state:
As one of the largest states in the country, California has several races that the country has kept an eye on during the midterm cycle despite the reliably blue state leaving little room for upsets or surprises.
One of the most high-profile races on the November ballot will be the governor’s race between Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and his Republican challenger, state Sen. Brian Dahle. Despite a recall challenge seeking to oust Newsom from office last September, the Democrat maintains high ratings in the Golden State and holds a healthy lead over Dahle in the polls.
Elsewhere on the ballot, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) is seeking to defend his spot as one of California’s senators after being appointed to finish off the term vacated by Vice President Kamala Harris when she was sworn into the White House. Now Padilla will face Republican Mark Meuser, who emerged from a crowded field, in November.
Also turning heads is the race for California’s attorney general, one of the few seats that Republicans believe they have a chance to flip in November. Democratic incumbent Rob Bonta faces a challenge from Republican Nathan Hochman, who has emerged as a strong candidate for the GOP because he has rejected claims from former President Donald Trump that the 2020 election was rigged, voiced support for tougher gun restrictions, and backed pro-abortion rights policies.
Taxes
Taxes remained steady as the third most-researched topic throughout September before seeing renewed interest during the second week of October and catapulting to No. 1, according to internet searches recorded and analyzed by Google Trends.
The increase in interest may be related to a ballot initiative that seeks to raise taxes for residents who make more than $2 million annually in order to generate revenue to go toward programs that would help people buy electric cars and install charging stations. Some of the money would also go toward wildfire prevention and other programs.
Newsom has rejected the proposal, telling voters it would not help the environment but is instead “one company’s cynical scheme to grab a huge taxpayer subsidy,” referring to Lyft, which paid for the ballot initiative. However, several Democrats in the state have backed the move.
Education
Education emerged as the top researched issue among California voters near the end of September and hovered as the No. 1 priority over the last 30 days before falling to No. 2 as of Oct. 16.
Education hasn’t been a huge talking point among statewide candidates for governor or the legislature, but it has taken center stage in local school board elections as Republicans seek to make gains lower down the ballot. The California GOP launched a program called “Parent Revolt” that seeks to recruit candidates to run for local school board elections, looking to capitalize on parental concerns of COVID-19 shutdowns and critical race theory in classrooms.
The push is to increase the number of conservative representatives on school boards, which are typically used as a training ground by Democrats to elevate board members into other political races.
Crime
Crime also emerged as a top issue among California voters, alternating as one of the top three issues throughout the last month before settling as No. 3 as of Oct. 16.
The issue of crime has especially taken center stage in the California attorney’s general race, which has proven to be a bellwether of Bonta’s progressive approaches to reducing crime rates in the state. Republicans have seized on rising crime rates in the state, pointing to recent policies that have reduced sentencing and incarceration as the causes of increased lawlessness.
Crime has also taken precedence in several House races as voters have urged candidates to take tougher stances on reducing violence in the state. Those pushes came after it was reported that murders in California in 2020 saw the largest increase since 1960.
Inflation
Inflation remained one of the lowest-researched topics throughout the month of October, with the exception of two major spikes in interest on Oct. 7 and 13.
The spike in interest on Oct. 13 is likely due to the latest report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that was released on that day, the final report before Election Day. Inflation clocked in at 8.2% for the 12 months ending in September — higher than expected and defying the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes.
Stocks immediately took a hit after the report was released. Futures of the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down some 500 points just minutes after the report’s release. The S&P 500 was off by about 2%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq plunged nearly 3%.
Republicans have long focused on inflation as a key voter issue in the midterm election cycle, pointing to soaring inflation rates under President Joe Biden. However, inflation has become less of a concern, offering Democrats relief and posing challenges to Republicans as they formulate new strategies.
Abortion
Abortion came in as the least-researched topic as of Oct. 6, remaining in the No. 5 position for the duration of the month and not receiving any spikes in interest.
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However, abortion has emerged as one of the key issues for California as voters are set to vote on whether to add abortion rights to the state constitution, with several Democratic candidates voicing their support for the initiative as a way to boost their campaigns.
Abortion has also emerged as a key issue in the race for attorney general as Republican Hochman has come out as a pro-abortion rights candidate — making him a more appealing GOP contender in a race that has a vulnerable Democratic incumbent.
