Columbia Standard

An overriding concern about inflation proved to be an element in Republican Daniel Rickenmann defeating Democrat Tameika Isaac Devine in a run-off last week to become mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. They were the top two vote-getters in the general election.

A recent poll by Morning Consult/Politico found that among voters, 60% are “very concerned” about inflation, 27% are “somewhat concerned” and only 3% are not concerned at all. In addition, 62% of voters said the Biden administration was very or somewhat responsible, which affected the recent general election from state offices to mayoral races such as the one in Columbia. President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the county by 40 points a year earlier, but Rickenmann earned a four-point win in the run-off.

Rickenmann, a longtime city council member, won the Nov. 16 runoff to become only the third mayor of Columbia in the last 30 years. Rickenmann had received almost 44% of the vote during the general election, while Devine, also a city council member, received more 30% and an endorsement from former President Barack Obama.

Rising inflation could hurt the Democrats during the 2022 midterm elections as 51% of voters said they will vote for a Republican in their district and 41% said they would vote for a Democrat. It’s the widest margin since 1981, according to ABC News. That’s one year after Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter for president by a landslide.

Morning Consult also noted that despite the fact that voters blame rising inflation on the Biden administration’s policies, the President signed a bill Monday that accelerates deficit spending and raises taxes. Morning Consult also explains that while the Biden administration has focused efforts on economic messaging, polling on the issue has remained largely unchanged. Adrienne Elrod, a longtime Democratic strategist who served as director of strategic communications for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, remarked, “Forget politics — it’s not an ideal scenario if you can’t afford a turkey or can’t find your canned pumpkin at the grocery store this year.” This analysis squares with the fact that over 60% of US adults expect prices to increase, especially when it comes to utility and energy bills, up from 47% in February.