Most in new poll say economy most important issue in election; Trump gets edge

Most voters in a new survey rank the economy as the most important issue ahead of the election, now less than a month away, and former President Trump has an edge over Vice President Harris on the issue.

The poll, conducted by Gallup, found that 52 percent of voters say the economy has an “extremely important” influence over whom they will vote for in November.

It’s the highest since October 2008, during the Great Recession, when 55 percent of voters said the same. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 44 percent of voters said the economy was extremely important to their vote, Gallup noted.

No other issue topped the 50 percent threshold as an extremely important issue for voters, the poll found. Just less than half of the survey’s respondents, 49 percent, said democracy in the U.S. was extremely important to their vote choice.

The survey also found that there is a partisan divide when it comes to the issues voters find most important. Roughly 66 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents rate the economy as extremely important, but just 36 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the same.

Trump earned a slim majority from respondents on the issue of economy. Just more than half, 54 percent, of voters say he would do a better job than Harris when it comes to handling the economy.

Trump also ranks high on immigration and foreign affairs, while Harris ranks better among voters on climate change, abortion and health care, according to the poll.

The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling index shows Harris with a 3.3-point lead over the former president overall, garnering 49.8 percent support to Trump’s 46.5 percent.

The Gallup survey was conducted Sept. 16-28 among 941 registered voters and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.