{"id":840725,"date":"2026-09-08T15:48:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T15:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/840725\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T15:48:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T15:48:20","slug":"economy-health-care-and-inflation-are-top-issues-in-2026-midterms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/840725\/","title":{"rendered":"Economy, health care and inflation are top issues in 2026 midterms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fox News Power Rankings: Senate, House ‘up for grabs’<\/a> <\/p>\n

‘America’s Newsroom’ co-anchor Bill Hemmer breaks down the latest Fox News Power Rankings ahead of the midterms as former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove joins to analyze party strategy in key House and Senate toss-up races.<\/p>\n

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n

Eight weeks from today, millions of Americans will choose their next congressperson. Poll after poll tells us that the state of the economy will shape their choice: it\u2019s the top issue for voters by a wide margin and most Americans are in a sour mood<\/a> about it.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not the end of the story.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve learned from previous elections that voters consider a wide range of issues when they vote. The “economy” has different meanings to voters. Optimism doesn\u2019t win over voters on pocketbook issues. And this year, while voters aren\u2019t happy with President Donald Trump\u2019s economy, that hasn’t yet made them enthusiastic about the Democratic alternative.<\/p>\n

These are the four rules to think about as we inch closer to the midterms.<\/p>\n

Meantime, Democrats inch closer to victory as the Power Rankings takes a fresh look at congressional races in Missouri and Ohio.<\/p>\n

1. The economy is central to elections, but watch for related issues<\/p>\n

The importance of the economy to elections has been a golden rule since the early ’90s, when Democratic strategist James Carville famously cited “the economy, stupid” as the most important focus for a campaign.<\/p>\n

Did you know it was only one of three orders he gave to candidates that cycle?<\/p>\n

The economy has been a top-three issue throughout the Trump era, including the last two midterm elections, where it was the most important issue for 47% of voters (2022) and 18% of voters (2018).<\/p>\n

If that 2018 figure feels low, it\u2019s because healthcare (26%) and immigration (23%) finished ahead. That year, Republicans lost 42 seats.<\/p>\n

No wonder another of Carville\u2019s three rules for candidates was “don\u2019t forget health care.” (The third was “change vs more of the same.”)<\/p>\n

HAKEEM JEFFRIES REJECTS MEDICARE FOR ALL, DSA AGENDA AS RO KHANNA CALLS HEALTH PLAN ‘MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY’<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings on President Donald Trump’s economy. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

The state of the economy bleeds into other major concerns, including healthcare. But even a strong economy wasn\u2019t enough to get the GOP out of that election unscathed. And healthcare looms as another important issue this year: it\u2019s ranked close behind the economy in most surveys this year.<\/p>\n

2. The economy means different things to voters<\/p>\n

When pollsters ask about voters\u2019 views on the economy, they usually ask how important “the economy” or “the state of the economy” is, or whether they\u2019re satisfied with Trump\u2019s performance on that issue.<\/p>\n

In some important ways, Trump has a strong economic record. Just last week, the U.S. added 162,000 jobs, about triple what economists had expected. The unemployment rate was steady at 4.1%. The stock market also continues to grow, even as Iran and tariffs drive volatility.<\/p>\n

These have helped keep Trump\u2019s overall economic approval rating in the low-to-mid 30s in multiple polls this summer.<\/p>\n

When pollsters ask only about Americans\u2019 personal economic situation, things look tougher.<\/p>\n

TRUMP’S APPROVAL RATING PLUMMETS TO NEW LOW AHEAD OF CRITICAL MIDTERMS: ‘MORE WORK TO DO’<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings on President Donald Trump’s handling of issues. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

In a Reuters\/Ipsos poll<\/a> released last week, 32% of voters said they approved of Trump on the economy. But only a quarter approved of his performance on cost of living and 24% approved of him on inflation and prices.<\/p>\n

The costs of gas, food and other basic goods are the major factors driving this discrepancy. If Democrats deliver a strong result in November, it will come down to a presidential approval rating in the mid-20s on these issues.<\/p>\n

3. Voters see through economic optimism<\/p>\n

In 2022, President Joe Biden faced similar headwinds: the economy was rebounding, especially if you looked at unemployment, but inflation hovered around the 8% mark all year. Gas prices came in around $3.75.<\/p>\n

The Biden administration kept selling the positives. First, inflation was “transitory.” Then the president argued that “zero percent inflation” from one month to another was a win, despite the high annualized rate. Senior officials took victory laps on the unemployment rate.<\/p>\n

\"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings on the economy in 2022 under former President Joe Biden. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

Voters rejected this messaging at the ballot box, delivering the House to the GOP after a net loss of nine Democratic seats and handing Biden a net approval rating of -23 points on the economy.<\/p>\n

Today, headline inflation is less than half that at 3.4%, while gas prices are a little higher at $4.15. Trump\u2019s net approval on the economy currently sits at -33 points.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration is running a familiar playbook. Vice President JD Vance<\/a> said last week that gas prices could be worse if not for the Trump administration. As Fox\u2019s Gillian Turner noted on “Special Report,” there are similarities between a comment like that and the statements Biden officials made four years earlier.<\/p>\n

These optimistic visions are likely to remain a tough sell to voters.<\/p>\n

4. Economic dissatisfaction doesn\u2019t make voters any happier about the alternative<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to look at all this and think the Democrats are in for a big night in November. That\u2019s certainly a possibility.<\/p>\n

But polls keep showing that voters are just as discouraged by the left\u2019s economic messaging.<\/p>\n

FOX NEWS POLL: MOST RATE THE ECONOMY NEGATIVELY, INCLUDING HALF OF REPUBLICANS<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings on which party voters trust more to handle the economy. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

Right now, Democrats are offering voters competing economic visions. Some, like Abdul El-Sayed and Troy Jackson, want a revolution that starts with “Medicare-for-all” and higher taxes on the wealthy. Others say they want to undo Trump\u2019s agenda while keeping the core of America\u2019s economic system in place.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not yet clear whether these visions are unappealing to voters or whether the contrast between them is the problem.<\/p>\n

Either way, in the Reuters\/Ipsos survey, 36% of voters say Republicans are the better party to handle the economy, while 37% prefer the Democrats. The poll has a \u00b13.3pt margin of error.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not encouraging for Team Blue.<\/p>\n

If the Republicans hold relatively steady in November \u2013 also a possibility in this forecast \u2013 those results will explain why.<\/p>\n

House: Democrats remain in the lead as two seats fall away from the GOP \"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings forecast on the House of Representatives. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

Democrats are still the favorites to take the House this November, with 212 seats in their columns to the GOP\u2019s 206. There are 17 seats that are so close they could go either way.<\/p>\n

\"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings forecast on the House of Representatives. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

Those seats tend to swing in one direction as votes get counted. On a good night for Democrats, that means 229 seats, while a good night for the GOP would still see them hold onto their current House majority.<\/p>\n

(A “great” night for either party would mean winning some of the seats that lean toward the opponent in this forecast. The Power Rankings puts seats in the “lean” category when they\u2019re highly competitive, but one party has an edge.)<\/p>\n

The changes in this forecast, which see two seats fall out of the GOP\u2019s columns, all come from Missouri and Ohio.<\/p>\n

Missouri: redistricting ruling flips one seat back to the Democrats and keeps another in contention<\/p>\n

Republicans picked up redistricting wins across the southeast after the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling narrowing the scope of the Voting Rights Act this year.<\/p>\n

That includes Missouri, where Republican lawmakers redrew the Kansas City-based 5th District, currently held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, who won re-election there by 24 points, to include more White, rural areas.<\/p>\n

That put the district into the Solid R column in the initial Power Rankings this year.<\/p>\n

Last Thursday, the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously blocked<\/a> the new districts from being used unless voters approve them in a referendum. The order restores the state\u2019s existing map, flipping Cleaver\u2019s district back to Solid D.<\/p>\n

MISSOURI AG FILES PETITION ASKING SUPREME COURT TO REVIVE TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING MAP<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings forecast on the House of Representatives. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

(It also makes Missouri\u2019s 2nd District more competitive. The rankings already had that district at Likely R; we\u2019re keeping it there for now.)<\/p>\n

Missouri has appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which could rule on the state ruling quickly. For now, Cleaver holds on to the 5th District.<\/p>\n

Ohio: Sherrod and scandal make the state more competitive<\/p>\n

Three races in Ohio are heading leftward.<\/p>\n

First, Ohio\u2019s 7th District, held by Republican Max Miller. The congressman\u2019s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, has accused<\/a> Miller of physically abusing both her and their young daughter. Miller denies the allegations and has suggested Moreno has mental health issues.<\/p>\n

Moreno is the daughter of Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, who Miller says is trying to take down his political career.<\/p>\n

The 7th District was already close for the \u2018likely\u2019 column, and after these headlines and some prodding<\/a> from Republicans to drop out, it\u2019s become highly competitive. It moves from Likely R to Toss Up.<\/p>\n

\"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings forecast on the House of Representatives. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in the southwest of the state, watch the 10th and 15th Districts, held by Republicans Mike Turner and Mike Carey, respectively.<\/p>\n

These shouldn\u2019t be part of the Democratic playbook in a regular election year: they\u2019re predominantly White and middle-class.<\/p>\n

Turner\u2019s 10th District contains Dayton and some suburban areas; Carey\u2019s 15th includes some suburban and exurban parts around Columbus and stretches to the rural south.<\/p>\n

\"Power <\/p>\n

Fox News Power Rankings forecast on the House of Representatives. (Remy Numa\/Fox News)<\/p>\n

As the Fox News Poll has shown twice now, Democrat Sherrod Brown is running<\/a> a strong race for Senate; up eight points at 53% in May and August. That kind of performance could create a closer race than Republicans would like.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n

The “Mikes” have the clear advantage, but victory isn\u2019t a sure thing. The 10th and 15th Districts move from Solid R to Likely R.<\/p>\n

R\u00e9my Numa is the lead political affairs specialist for Fox News Channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @remynuma.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fox News Power Rankings: Senate, House ‘up for grabs’ ‘America’s Newsroom’ co-anchor Bill Hemmer breaks down the latest…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":840726,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[28,12,101,5649,170164,111,45273],"class_list":["post-840725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-donald-trump","tag-economy","tag-house-of-representatives","tag-midterm-elections","tag-politics","tag-power-rankings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/840726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}