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The Republican Party holds the momentum heading into the November midterms, according to the results of recent generic ballot polls.
For instance, one such survey from New York Times/Siena College found the GOP advantage over Democrats to be 49-45 percent, indicating that “Republicans opened up a 10-percentage point lead among crucial independent voters, compared with a three-point edge for Democrats in September, as undecided voters moved toward Republicans.”
The poll was conducted Oct. 9-12 among 792 likely voters, and the biggest shift, per the outlet, was among women who identified as Independent voters – a bloc that Democrats led by 14 points in September but now favors Republicans by 18 percent.
Meanwhile, according to The Hill, 53 percent of respondents in a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey said they were more likely to vote for a Republican compared to 47 percent who were more likely to vote for a Democrat. The poll was conducted Oct. 12-13 among 2,010 registered voters.
Further, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Friday had Republicans leading Democrats 48-41 percent, with pollster Scott Rasmussen telling Just the News Monday that Republicans are “almost certain to win the House, the only question is how many seats.”
Notably, the Rasmussen survey of 2,500 likely voters (conducted Oct. 9-13) showed that among those with annual incomes of more than $200,000, Democrats were favored by 12 points, while Republicans – typically depicted by Democrats as the “party of the rich” – were favored by those earning between $30,000 and $50,000 a year by the same margin.
The national swing toward the GOP comes at a time of great economic strife in the United States, with inflation at historic highs and the economy now officially in a recession.
Among each of the aforementioned polls, the economy was highlighted as the primary issue weighing on voters’ minds heading into the midterms.
It has also been on the mind of President Donald J. Trump, who lamented the country’s economic situation in a recent interview with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.
“You look at all of the things that are wrong, with the economy, with the military – our woke military…” he said. “It’s crazy what’s happening to our country in so many different ways, and what I want to see is I want to see America be great again. We can be great again.”
The 45th president expressed confidence that “we can turn [the country] around,” and perhaps it is that optimistic vision that appeals to voters across the country, drawing them into the Republican fold.
Whatever the case, with just a few short weeks left before the midterms and no signs of economic relief in sight, one can expect the economy to be a significant factor in voters’ decisions next month at the polls.
