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 in Virginia for each of our key issues on a rolling 30-day basis. The Washington Examiner will be updating this page as interests and voting concerns change.
Key races we’re watching in the state:
Virginians will be voting for all 11 House races for the midterm elections, with the 2nd, 7th, and 10th congressional districts viewed as particularly contentious.
Both the 2nd and 7th congressional districts are predicted to be key determinants of which party will take control of the House. The two districts feature all-female races between incumbent Democrats and Republican challengers. Rep. Elaine Luria (D) faces state Sen. Jennifer Kiggans (R) in the 2nd District, and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) will face Republican Yesli Vega in the 7th District. Both races could go either way, according to a Cook Political Report analysis.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) is working to keep her 10th District seat in northern Virginia against challenger Hung Cao. GOP-leading precincts in Rappahannock and Fauquier counties were added to her district through reapportionment since her last bid for reelection in 2020.
Education
Education emerged as the top-researched issue among Virginia voters early in September and remained the No. 1 priority for the duration of the month, according to internet searches recorded and analyzed by Google Trends.
Searches relating to education spiked on Sept. 28, most likely relating to Gov. Glenn Youngkin appearing on Fox and Friends to defend his transgender policies he introduced earlier in the month. The Republican argued that parents should be involved in school policies relating to bathroom access and sports, among other areas of concern. The policies are set to go into effect at the end of October.
Taxes
Taxes emerged as another top issue among Virginia voters, staying steady and seeing renewed interest on Oct. 13. The issue came in at No. 2 as of Oct. 16.
Virginia taxpayers who filed their 2021 taxes began to receive their rebates as early as Sept. 19, up to $250 for single filers and $500 for joint filers. The Virginia Tax Commission plans to send out 3.2 million rebates in total through the end of the year, with a majority arriving by Oct. 10.
Crime
Crime has also emerged as a top issue, remaining steady as the No. 3 concern as of Oct. 1 after receiving a few spikes in interest earlier in the month.
A Politico-Morning Consult poll released on Oct. 5 showed crime as a key battle area for the midterm elections. Republicans are relentlessly tying a pandemic-era rise in crime to Democrats both on the campaign trail and in TV ads. The topic of crime is being used as a tactic by the GOP as a way to draw attention away from abortion, leaning into the fears that are evident, given the numbers.
About three-quarters of respondents said violent crime is increasing nationally, while 88% said violent crime was either increasing or staying the same in their own communities. Sixty percent of respondents said that crime would influence who they voted for in the midterm election.
Inflation
Inflation remained one of the lowest-searched topics throughout September, receiving a significant spike in interest on Oct. 13 before falling back to No. 4 as of Oct. 16.
The large spike on Oct. 13 coincides with the release of September’s inflation numbers in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’s October consumer price index report. September inflation was recorded at 8.3% in the report. Inflation is one of the most important issues on voters’ minds heading into the midterm elections, according to a Monmouth University report released on Monday.
Overall, 82% of people in the United States ranked inflation as an extremely or very important issue, compared with 56% who ranked abortion as a top worry and 32% who viewed the coronavirus pandemic as a big concern.
Abortion
Abortion is the lowest-ranking issue among the five, remaining steady with no significant spikes as of Oct. 16.
The procedure is legal until viability in the state despite Youngkin repeatedly saying he would push for an abortion ban after 15 weeks. However, the Virginia legislature is under control of the Democrats, most likely preventing any tighter abortion restrictions from passing through.
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In Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, Luria has pegged Kiggans as an “extremist” when it comes to abortion, saying that Kiggans’s abortion stance would put women’s health in danger through policies that are “not representative” of a swing district.
However, Kiggans responded with several social media posts stating that she did support abortion in cases of rape and incest and if the life of the mother is at risk.
