In key midterm states, Dem voters move on from abortion, now say protecting democracy top election issue

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After Democratic candidates spent the past several months campaigning with laser-focus on abortion, recent polls found Democratic voters in multiple key midterm states say their top concern going into November is "threats to the democracy.

A Marist Poll survey among Pennsylvanians discovered that "preserving democracy" is the top issue to 40% of likely Democrat voters, trumping abortion and inflation. In the state where all eyes are on GOP nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz and Democrat opponent Lt. Gov. John Fetterman as they face off for Pennsylvania's open Senate seat, inflation was the most concerning issue to both Republican and Independent respondents. The poll was conducted among from September 19-22, 2022 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

The sudden priority shift within the Democratic Party comes after President Joe Biden claimed in several recent speeches that "extreme MAGA Republicans" are "threats to the democracy." Following Biden's remarks, political polls tracking the country's top midterm races began asking voters where these "threats" ranked in importance among abortion and inflation on their list of most concerning issues.

A Spectrum News/Sienna College poll of likely Wisconsin voters, conducted Sept. 14-15 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, found that when deciding which candidate to vote for this fall, "threats to the democracy" was the first or second choice to 40% of likely Democratic voters in the state, while 30% listed it as their top issue.

DEMOCRAT VOTERS IN KEY MIDTERM STATE SAY ‘THREATS TO DEMOCRACY’ MORE IMPORTANT THAN ABORTION, ECONOMY

President Joe Biden gives a speech on protecting American democracy in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 1st, 2022. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency)

In Ohio, where J.D. Vance and Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, remain a heated matchup for the state's open Senate seat, a Marist Poll found that "preserving the democracy" is the issue that is top of mind to 39% of likely Democrat voters when deciding which candidate to vote for this fall. Abortion was of most importance to 27%, while inflation ranked highest to only 17% of Democrat respondents after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) found that inflation rose to 8.3% in August. The poll was conducted from Sept. 12-15, with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. 

"Joe Biden is the most divisive president in modern history — pitting Americans against each other for political gain," Will O'Grady, deputy national press secretary for the Republican National Committee (RNC), said regarding the recent polling results.

ECONOMY TOPS LIST OF INDEPENDENT VOTERS' CONCERNS, BUT JAMES CARVILLE AND OTHER DEMS DEFEND FOCUS ON ABORTION

"Ultimately, voters will hold him and his Democrat enablers accountable for the destruction they have caused to our institutional norms, families’ budgets, and nation’s security," O'Grady told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed J.D. Vance in his bid for Senate. (Tom E. Puskar)

A Spectrum News/Sienna College poll surveying voters in Texas found that "threats to the democracy" and inflation were tied as the first and second most important issues, both being the main priority to 38% of Democrats. The results reveal that even though the "threats" may not be the only leading issue to Democratic voters, abortion appears to be less of a midterm concern to voters than it was in June after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision. The poll was conducted September 14-18 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

"The top issues for voters are the higher costs Democrats’ reckless spending caused and the violent crime surge their pro-criminal policies enabled. Democrats have no plan to deal with either," National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Mike Berg told Fox News Digital.

"MAGA Republicans" refers to the millions of American's who supported former President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement. (Jose Luis Magana)

While a Florida poll found that abortion was the most important to 21% of likely Democratic voters in the state, threats to the democracy came in a close second, being of top concern to 18% of Floridians. According to the poll, inflation and the economy were the most concerning issues to 51% of likely Republican and 36% of likely Independent voters. The USA Today/Suffolk University poll was conducted Sept. 15-18 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

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The Democratic National Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.