In Wisconsin’s Senate race between Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, crime and public safety is among the top concerns for voters. In an October CBS News poll, crime ranked third, behind the economy and inflation, when it came to “very important issues” for likely voters. And 42% of registered voters said Johnson’s policies would make them “more safe from crime.”
The issue itself is divided along partisan lines, but 59% of voters who identify as “moderate” said it was “very important.” By comparison, 45% of moderates rank the issue of abortion, which Barnes and Wisconsin Democrats have centered their campaigns around, as “very important.” …
The issue has been especially prevalent in GOP attack ads against Barnes. Since Aug. 30, 70% of the Republican ads that air in Wisconsin’s Senate race mention crime, and the pace of these ads airing has remained high since October 18, according to an analysis of data by ad tracking firm AdImpact.
In the Pennsylvania Senate race between Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz, 53% of Republican ads since August 30 have mentioned crime. Since August 30, Republicans have spent $12.3 million on ads about crime, more than the $11.8 million spent on ads about any other topic.
[Maybe they’re effective because voters are actually concerned about crime … and not about the distractions that Democrats keep tossing out from crime, the economy, and radicalized education curricula. — Ed]
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