{"id":48980,"date":"2014-05-05T00:05:58","date_gmt":"2014-05-05T05:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2014\/05\/05\/the-2014-midterm-congressional-vote-top-issues\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:47:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:47:58","slug":"the-2014-midterm-congressional-vote-top-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2014\/05\/05\/the-2014-midterm-congressional-vote-top-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 1: The 2014 Midterm: Congressional Vote, Top Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Congressional<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Midterm voting intentions remain divided: 47% of voters say they plan to vote or lean toward voting for the Republican candidate in their district, while 43% support or lean toward the Democratic candidate. However, the Republican Party has improved its position since last October, when the Democratic Party held a 49%-43% advantage on the generic ballot.<\/p>\n\n

\"GOP<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

At this stage of the campaign, independent voters are 16 points more likely to say they plan to vote Republican (49%) than Democratic (33%) in the midterm.<\/p>\n\n

Overall, men back the Republican candidate for Congress in their district by a 52%-39% margin. Women are about evenly divided in their voting intentions: 47% support or lean toward the Democratic candidate, 43% back the Republican.<\/p>\n\n

Across education levels, those without a college degree favor GOP candidates on the generic ballot, while college graduates tilt Democratic. For more on 2014 voting preferences among demographic groups, see the detailed tables<\/a> in the back of the report.<\/p>\n\n

Top Midterm Issues: Jobs, Health Care, Deficit<\/h3>\n\n
\"Jobs<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Amid a sluggish economic recovery, the job situation is the top midterm issue for voters, with health care and the budget deficit following closely behind.<\/p>\n\n

Nearly half (48%) of voters say the job situation is the most important or second most important issue to their vote, 42% say health care is a top voting issue, 38% name the budget deficit and 31% name education. Security and anti-terrorism policy (19%) and immigration (14%) are seen as less important midterm issues, out of the six tested in the survey.<\/p>\n\n

Jobs are the top issue for voters who plan to vote Democratic. More than half of Democratic voters (55%) cite jobs as their most important issue or second leading issue. Republican voters give about equal importance to three leading issues: the budget deficit (46%), health care (44%) and the job situation (42%). Republican voters who agree with the Tea Party are more likely than those who do not to cite the budget deficit as a top voting issue (54% vs. 44%).<\/p>\n\n

Partisan Control of Congress a Bigger Factor for GOP Voters<\/h3>\n\n
\"Will<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Currently, 53% of registered voters say that the issue of which party controls Congress will be a factor in their vote, 43% say this won\u2019t be a consideration in their vote. In February 2010, 48% of voters said partisan control of Congress would be a major factor in their vote and in April 2006, 56% said party control would matter.<\/p>\n\n

In 2010, partisan control of Congress became a more important issue over the course of the campaign. In the Pew Research Center\u2019s final reelection poll that year<\/a>, 62% said partisan control of Congress would be a factor, up 14 points from February 2010.<\/p>\n\n

\"In<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Voters who support or lean toward the Republican Party\u2019s candidate in their district (59%) are more likely than those who plan to vote for the Democratic candidate (52%) to say this issue of party control will matter in their vote. This balance of opinion is about the same as at a similar stage of the 2010 midterm campaign. In the final poll that year, 71% of GOP voters and 64% of Democratic voters cited partisan control of Congress as a factor.<\/p>\n\n

In April 2006, more of those planning to vote Democratic (62%) than Republican (55%) said the issue of party control would be a factor in their vote for Congress.<\/p>\n\n

Obama\u2019s Impact on 2014 Midterm<\/h3>\n\n
\"More<\/a><\/figure>\n\n
\"Early<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Currently, 42% say their view of Obama will be a factor in their midterm vote: 16% say they consider it a vote \u201cfor\u201d Obama while 26% say it is a vote \u201cagainst\u201d him. In February 2010, about as many said their view of Obama was a factor (44%); they were divided over whether it would be an expression of support for Obama (24%) or opposition (20%).<\/p>\n\n

Near the end of the 2010 campaign, 55% of voters said their feelings about Obama would be a factor in their vote, with 26% viewing their ballot as a vote for the president and 28% against him.<\/p>\n\n

Among those planning to vote for the Republican this fall, fully 46% think of their vote as a vote against Obama. By comparison, fewer of those who plan to vote for the Democratic candidate say they think of their ballot as a vote for Obama (31%).<\/p>\n\n

Democratic voters were more likely to say they were backing the president with their midterm vote in a February 2010 survey (47% then, 31% now). Republicans are about as likely to say they are voting against Obama at this point in the 2014 cycle as they were in February 2010 (46% now, 42% then).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Midterm voting intentions remain divided: 47% of voters say they plan to vote or lean toward voting for the Republican candidate in their district, while 43% support or lean toward the Democratic candidate. However, the Republican Party has improved its position since last October, when the Democratic Party held a 49%-43% advantage on the generic 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