Republicans edge Democrats one week before midterm election as 71% say economy on wrong track: poll
US economy proving to be most important issue for voters in midterm elections
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Republican Party's prospects are looking up, according to new polling data from the Wall Street Journal.
Republicans hold a razor-thin lead over Democrats one week before the midterms, with 46% of registered voters backing the GOP when asked which party they would support in their congressional district, according to the Wall Street Journal poll.
Approximately 44% of respondents put their support behind the Democratic Party, a GOP edge that is within the margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
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From left to right: Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman, North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Cheri Beasley, Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Tim Ryan, Wisconsin Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (Sean Rayford, Alex Wong, Andrew Spear, Sara Stathas for the Washington Post, Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The bump in support for the GOP is, at least partially, linked to voters' high anxiety about the U.S. economy, which has become the defining issue of the 2022 elections.
Only 19% of those polled said the economy was headed in the right direction, compared to 71% of respondents that said the economy is going down the wrong path.
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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka stands on stage with former President Trump during a "Save America" rally at Alaska Airlines Center on July 9, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Democrats are also weighed down by President Biden's continued struggles to win over voters' support.
Approximately 54% of those polled said Biden's policies are having a negative effect on the economy, compared to 27% who believe the same policies have helped.
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Early voter turnout has continued to climb even after the passage of election "interference" bills in some states like Georgia that imposed new restrictions on absentee voting and voter ID requirements. (Stephen Goin)
The Wall Street Journal poll was conducted via phone and text from Oct. 22 to Oct. 26. It had a sample size of 1,500 registered voters.