Something similar seems to have happened in the 2024 electionssince for American voters who care most about the economy that for other reasons—and almost half of those who claim to be in a worse financial situation than four years ago— the choice for the next president seemed resoundingly clear: the republican donald trump.
Trump declared himself the winner of the 2024 presidential race after Fox News projected that he had defeated Democrat Kamala Harris after winning the battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.
Trump was leading in each of the four remaining battleground states, any of which would raise his Electoral College total above the 270 needed to win.
About 31% of voters said the economy was their main problem, ranking second behind the 35% who said the state of democracy was what mattered most to them, according to national foot survey data. Edison Research urn. And voters who listed the economy as their top concern overwhelmingly voted for Trump over Harris, 79% to 20%.
Meanwhile, high inflation over the past two years and the impact it has had on perceptions of financial well-being stood out as clear concerns that also guided voters toward Trump.
More than half of voters said inflation had caused them moderate hardship in the past year, while nearly one in four said it had caused them serious hardship. Those who said he had caused them a moderate hardship leaned slightly more toward Trump, 50% to 47%, but 73% of those who said he had caused them a serious hardship voted for the former president.
Edison exit poll data showed that 45% of voters nationwide said their family’s financial situation was worse today than four years ago, up from just 20% in 2020. Those voters favored Trump against Harris by 80% to 17%.
