Republicans and Democrats alike seem to have convinced themselves that this November’s midterm elections will be a referendum on President Joe Biden for his abysmal handling of the economy. That’s why Republicans have spent so much time talking about skyrocketing inflation rates and prices and Democrats have spent as much time trying not to talk about these issues at all. And while it is certainly true that voters care a lot about the things that affect their wallets directly, it would be foolish for either party to underestimate the influence cultural issues will have on voters.

The Washington Examiner has been tracking the top issues on voters’ minds for the past month, particularly in the swing states that will determine control of Congress. What we’ve found by following how voters are researching our top issues — abortion, crime, education, inflation, and taxes — is that there is a wide gap between what candidates are talking about on the campaign trail and what the voters want them to talk about.