Economic issues dominated the governors’ races in Virginia and New Jersey. In Virginia, 62 percent of the voters named either the economy and jobs or taxes as their most important issue. In New Jersey, 58 percent named either the economy and jobs or property taxes as their top issue. The candidate who won on the combination of economic issues won the race. And what is also noteworthy is that the candidate who won on the issue of health care — currently the top concern of President Obama and Democrats in Washington — lost the race.
In Virginia, 47 percent of the voters named the economy and jobs as their top issue. Republican Bob McDonnell won among them, 57 percent to 42 percent. Another 15 percent named taxes as their top issue; McDonnell won among them, 84 percent to 16 percent. Health care was the top concern of 24 percent of the voters, and Democrat Creigh Deeds won among them, 51 percent to 49 percent. But that health care advantage wasn’t nearly enough for Deeds to win.
In New Jersey, health care placed fourth among voter concerns. The economy and jobs was number one, named by 32 percent of voters, and property taxes was number two, with 26 percent. The candidates split the results. Democrat Jon Corzine won 58 percent to 36 percent among those who said the economy and jobs were their top concern, and Republican Chris Christie won 67 percent to 25 percent among those who were most concerned about property taxes. Government corruption was the voters’ third-most important concern, and Christie won among them, 68 percent to 25 percent.
Then there was health care, named as the top issue by just 17 percent of New Jersey’s voters. Among them, Democrat Corzine won big, with 78 percent to Christie’s 19 percent. The problem was, health care was simply not an urgent enough issue to be the winning factor.
The results in both states show that voters’ concerns are strikingly different from those of the president and top leaders in Congress.
