Inflation and illegal immigration are top of mind for Republican primary voters, according to a new poll asking what they most want presidential candidates to tackle.
The WPA Intelligence poll showed 1,000 Republican primary voters a list of 13 issues facing the U.S., and asked respondents to choose which of the issues was the most important for presidential candidates to address. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said “inflation or rising prices” was the most important issue. The other issue that broke double-digits was illegal immigration, with 27% of respondents saying it was the most important.
“As far as public policy issues, Republican primary voters are mainly concerned about inflation and the situation at the border,” said Conor Maguire, Principal and Managing Director of WPA.
Other issues that resonated with some Republican primary voters included government reform or corruption (8%), crime, gangs and drugs (5%), jobs and unemployment (3%), election security (3%), healthcare and prescription drugs (3%), and abortion (3%).
Far fewer respondents were concerned with other issues that were presented to them, including individual religious freedom (1%), Big Tech and social media abuses (1%), and second amendment rights (1%). Furthermore, fewer than 1% of respondents said Critical Race Theory was the most important issue, and 5% of respondents said something else was most important.
The poll, conducted between February 13 and 16, had a 3.1% margin of error and comes as candidates begin to emerge in the Republican presidential field. Former President Donald Trump has declared, as has former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and ex-biotech executive Vivek Ramaswamy.
Speculation is swirling that other high-profile Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former Vice President Mike Pence, will run in 2024 as well. All have recently released, or will be releasing, memoirs, which are typically seen as precursors to a presidential bid for those with aspirations.
The first Republican presidential debate will be held in Milwaukee in August.