Voters prefer Republican candidates over Democratic ones by nearly 13 percentage points ahead of the midterm elections and expect the GOP to be a check on President Biden, according to a poll released Tuesday by a conservative group.
The poll from the Convention of States Action, working with the polling firm Trafalgar Group, also found that most voters are concerned about law and order, aggression from China and border security.
GOP leaders have said they are optimistic about retaking the House and are hopeful they can tip the scales in the evenly divided Senate.
Tuesday’s poll found that 54.4% of American voters prefer Republican candidates and 41.9% prefer Democratic ones, while 3.7% are undecided.
Pollsters said 81% of voters are confident that if Republicans win control of Congress in this year’s elections, they will follow through on vows to try to block or undo Mr. Biden’s policies.
The conservative group said the GOP risks losing its lead if leaders do not detail what they plan to do if they win control of Capitol Hill.
“It’s clear from this data that Republicans remain far ahead in this race, and if they win, voters believe they will deliver. However, these numbers also spell danger for Republicans. GOP leadership has not laid out clearly what they would do if they are elected, and voters feel very strongly about action being taken on issues from law and order to the border to inflation and the economy,” said Mark Meckler, president of Convention of States Action. “If voters get wind that their priorities are not being taken seriously, and lose confidence in Republicans to deliver, these numbers could shift dramatically.”
Law and order is the top issue for voters, with 8 in 10 saying police departments can be fully funded and prosecutors can be tough on crime, while officers who abuse their power can be properly disciplined.
Roughly 70% said rising aggression from China is a threat to America, and about two-thirds said the southern border should be secured and illegal crossers returned to their home countries.
Rounding out the top five issues, 62% believe the U.S. can produce natural gas and oil without harming the environment, and 56% say fentanyl coming across the southern border from China is the leading factor in overdose deaths.
Also, pollsters found 54% of voters think Mr. Biden’s ideas on how to fix inflation will actually hurt the economic recovery, and 48% think parents should have greater authority than teachers’ unions in directing education policy.
The poll was conducted Feb. 2-6 among 1,073 voters. About 39% identified as Democrats, 36% as Republicans and 25% as unaffiliated.
