Star Tribune
Economy ranked as a top issue, but concerns over democracy drove many voters to polls
WASHINGTON — Voters said the economy and immigration are the top issues facing the country, but the future of democracy was also a leading motivator for many Americans casting a ballot in Tuesday’s presidential election.
AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide, found a country mired in negativity and desperate for change as Americans faced a stark choice between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump, the Republican, sought to define the election as a referendum on the Biden-Harris administration and blamed it for inflation and illegal crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico. Harris, the Democrat, tried to brand herself as being more focused on the future and described Trump as old, tired and a threat to the Constitution.
About 4 in 10 voters considered the economy and jobs to be the most important problem facing the country, as frustration with inflation spiking in 2022 lingered in the form of higher grocery, housing and gasoline costs. Roughly 2 in 10 voters said the top issue is immigration, and about 1 in 10 picked abortion.
But when asked what most influenced their vote, about half of voters identified the future of democracy as the single most important factor. That was higher than the share who answered the same way about inflation, the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, abortion policy or free speech.
Those issues also outweighed considerations of recent assassination attempts against Trump or the legal cases he is facing, as well as the possibility of Harris becoming the first female president.
Trump holds an edge on economy, Harris leads on abortion
Trump held an advantage over Harris on which candidate could better handle the economy, as well as on the issue of immigration. On abortion, Harris was seen as the stronger candidate. During the campaign, Harris talked about access to abortion and medical care for women as an issue of fundamental freedom, whereas Trump said it was a matter best left to the states after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Early returns were inconclusive in the Sixth Congressional District race pitting incumbent Rep. Tom Emmer, the No. 3 Republican in the U.S. House, against Democrat Jeanne Hendricks in a rematch Tuesday.
Emmer, the House Majority Whip, had a significant fundraising advantage over Hendricks heading into his battle for a sixth term. He raised more than $8 million compared to Hendricks, who raised less than six figures.
Emmer began rising through the Republican ranks after leading the National Republican Congressional Committee for four years, helping the GOP narrowly win back control of the House in 2022.
But Emmer’s ascension in the House was halted largely by former President Donald Trump, who along with his allies had a hand in sinking Emmer’s chances. Their relationship since appears to have come full circle, with Emmer becoming one of Trump’s chief defenders.
Though Emmer no longer leads the NRCC, he’s continued to raise millions to elect Republicans through his joint fundraising committees.
When House Republicans hold leadership elections on Nov. 13, Emmer’s support for candidates likely won’t be forgotten if he runs for whip again or decides to vie for speaker should Republicans hold onto their House majority.
It was too early to tell Tuesday evening whether Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar will head back to Washington, D.C., for another six-year term in a contest against Republican challenger Royce White.
The third-term Minnesota senator has achieved high popularity since she was first elected in 2006, easily beating her previous two Republican challengers with more than 60% of the vote.
White, a former professional basketball player and Black Lives Matter protester, is Klobuchar’s most unconventional challenger yet. He’s a political novice and provocateur who’s an ally of Republican strategist and media executive Steve Bannon, who was recently released from jail. He first ran in the Republican primary for Minnesota’s Fifth District in 2022.
Tuesday’s election will show whether Klobuchar’s appeal still reaches across party lines. She hasn’t been on the ballot since 2018, two years before her unsuccessful presidential campaign. The country has become increasingly polarized since Klobuchar last ran for re-election to the Senate.
Klobuchar, a former Hennepin County prosecutor, has pitched herself as a pragmatist, someone who’s worked with Republicans throughout her career to lower prescription drug prices, help veterans and advocate for more housing and child care.
The two candidates disagree substantially on major issues.
On immigration, Klobuchar wants to secure the border and push for immigration reforms while White supports closing the border entirely.
A man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Tuesday night after he was found in St. Paul with a gunshot injury to the head.
Just before 5 p.m., police were called to the area of Rice Street and University Avenue W. for a report of shots fired, according to St. Paul Police Sgt. Mike Ernster. When police arrived, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound who was not conscious and not breathing.
St. Paul fire paramedics transported the man to Regions Hospital, where he was treated for life-threatening injuries.
According to initial reports, the shooting suspects are believed to have fled the area on foot. As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, there had not been any arrests.
Investigators are still trying to determine the circumstances that led to the shooting and searching for information on who is responsible.
