Economic issues dominate the list of top concerns for Pennsylvania voters ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election, a new poll finds.
A quarter of voters in the swing state ranked “inflation/cost of living” as the No. 1 issue facing Pennsylvanians in a survey released Tuesday from the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative-libertarian think tank in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The voters who chose inflation comprise 29% of independents, 28% of Republicans, and 19% of Democrats, according to the poll.
Another 7% of respondents ranked Pennsylvania’s “general” economy as the top issue.
“Four of the Top 5 most important issues facing Pennsylvania have to do with economic matters, as Pennsylvanians see inflation, the [state’s] economy, taxes, and poverty/homelessness as major issues facing our state,” the Commonwealth Foundation said in its analysis of the data.
Additionally, 20%, or one-fifth, of those surveyed ranked inflation as the biggest problem facing America as a whole, followed by “immigration/border security” at 10%.
Voters’ concerns spotlight the economy as a weak spot for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign in Pennsylvania, as shown by other recent polling that indicates most of the state’s voters trust former President Donald Trump more than Biden on the issue.
Trump and Biden are nearly neck and neck in the Commonwealth Foundation’s poll, scoring 44% and 45%, respectively, among Pennsylvania voters. This signals an improvement for Trump since the foundation’s March poll, which put Biden ahead by seven percentage points.
However, most respondents said they were “dissatisfied” with the top two choices for president in November, including about 25% who said they are “total[ly] dissatisfied.”
Voters’ financial worries extended to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who has proposed a $3 billion increase in state spending that would require raising taxes by $2,000 per family of four, the Commonwealth Foundation said.
More than half of respondents said they opposed Shapiro’s budget plan after the survey explained the consequences for taxes.
“Nearly one-third of survey participants say Pennsylvania’s high tax burden led them to consider moving to another state,” the foundation noted in a press release. “These numbers could directly impact the state’s ability to maintain a strong workforce.”
The Commonwealth Foundation surveyed 800 registered state voters from June 14 to 19. Its poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46 percentage points.
