Arizona voters pick economy over immigration as top issue in poll

PHOENIX – Jobs and the economy are the top concerns of Arizona voters, just ahead of immigration, a new poll revealed Wednesday.

An OH Predictive Insights survey showed 29% said the economy was the No. 1 issue the state faces, followed by immigration at 25%. Immigration had led similar polls since early 2021.

“At this point in [Joe] Biden’s presidency, Arizonans’ priorities are shifting in reaction, it seems, to the administration’s policy decisions,” Mike Noble, chief researcher for the Phoenix analysts, said in a press release.

“The economy is becoming increasingly pertinent to voters as many blame the president’s economic policies for inflation issues, high gas prices, and supply chain challenges.”

Independents outnumbered their counterparts at 32% in selecting jobs and economy. Republicans and Democrats tied at 27%.

The state has seen 100% recovery of private-sector jobs that had been lost since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A September 2021 report from the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity said about 325,000 jobs were reclaimed since April 2020, bringing private sector employment total to 2,572,000. The numbers outpaced the national average of 79% recovery.

But Arizona has led the nation in home prices for over two years and American consumer prices rose to a 40-year high by the end of 2021.

Republican poll respondents still ranked immigration as the highest priority at 45%. Democrats opted for health care at 28%.

Overall, only two other topics garnered double digits: health care at 16% and education rounded out that list at 13%.

The poll was taken Jan. 11-13 and has a margin of error of 3.4%.

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