Courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Watchdog
“Even a box of cereal is four bucks,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer laments to viewers in her latest campaign commercial. Released last week, the Governor tells viewers bluntly that she can’t stop inflation, but has programs that can help ease the pain.
She along with countless other office seekers this election year are reading the polls and finding inflation to be the top concern. That’s underscored by the most recent Quinnipiac nationwide survey showing that issue is the major worry for 34% of the population. A distant second place goes to gun violence at 14% or 20 points lower than inflation.
However, there is the political divide here as with many other aspects of the rhetoric. Among Republicans, 48% rank it No. 1, compared to 14% of the Democrats. Conversely 22% of Democrats rank gun violence No. 1 compared to 16% for the Rs.
Independents weight in at 41% concern over higher prices. No other issue reaches double digits with this influential voting segment.
On control of the U.S. House and Senate, a new trend continues, suggesting the Democrats are not in as much trouble in the mid-terms as previously thought. In fact, this new data shows a flip flop.
In June 2022, 46% wanted the House under GOP control. But the most recent survey has it 45% D’s and 44% R’s, which makes it a statistical dead heat with the margin of error at 2.5%.
In the U.S. Senate, the May 2022 numbers had it 48% for the Republicans and 44% for the Democrats. Now its tied at 45%-45% each with 10% undecided.