(NewsNation) — Three weeks away from the 2022 midterms, and recent polling shows Democrats losing their hold on voters to Republican candidates.
The latest projections from NewsNation election partner Decision Desk HQ show that Democrats will maintain control of the U.S. Senate, and while numbers are still in their favor, they have dipped slightly.
The report coincides with the New York Times-Siena College poll, which indicated Republicans held a 49%-45% lead over Democrats in the generic ballot about one month before November’s elections.
Additionally, according to The Hill, the poll mirrors other surveys, which also show the Democrats’ lead on Republicans disappearing since late September.
The results are especially important as Election Day nears, and, to help revive the same energy his base felt over the summer, President Joe Biden Tuesday called this upcoming Election Day the most consequential election in U.S. history, centering his focus around one central issue — abortion.
“I want to remind us all how we felt that day when 50 years of constitutional precedent was overturned,” Biden said on Tuesday, speaking in front of a “Restore Roe” backdrop.
Biden’s three-weeks-to-go pitch came amid inflation and rising gas prices. As a result, many feel it will not be enough to keep Democrats in power in Washington.
“The fear is that there is a bit of policy fatigue. But that changes once it gets closer to Election Day,” said Todd Belt, a politics professor at George Washington University, during NewsNation’s “Rush Hour” on Tuesday.
Political experts say Biden is hoping the backlash on the abortion issue will help Democrats avoid the red wave that generally makes a splash during a Democratic president’s first midterm.
As a counter, Republican candidates are keeping the focus on inflation as they face their Democratic opponents.
“We need to stop spending money that we don’t have. The runaway spending is one of the reasons why we have inflation,” Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance said during a debate with his Democratic opponent, Tim Ryan.
Regardless of the focus of each party, polling shows the economy remains the top issue among voters ahead of the midterms.
Republicans believe Democrats are going to be the ones paying the price at the polls, while Democrats say they’re focusing on all the issues and shouldn’t be counted out.
“People are making a decision between two parties versus just solely looking at inflation or solely looking at energy prices or the economy. They’re also looking at the strength of the candidates, their qualities, reproductive rights. This is not going to be one issue,” Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, told NewsNation’s “Rush Hour” on Tuesday.
To help campaign efforts, Democrats have been doubling down on voter turnout, dispatching top Democratic speakers to key states and races across the country.