COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohioans are nearly two weeks away from voting in the November election and the issues that some voters believe are the highest priority differ between the two US Senate candidates, Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Ryan.
10TV went outside of the Statehouse and asked 20 voters to rank these issues in order of importance: cost of housing, cost of gas, cost of healthcare, student loan debt, abortion, violent crime, immigration and the cost of food.
Here is the group's top four most important issues:
- Cost of housing
- Abortion
- Cost of food
- Cost of healthcare
Despite the rise in the cost of buying a house, neither candidates have talked much about it. Mortgage rates have more doubled this year. The average rate on a typical 30-year mortgage rose to 6.94% this week.
However, when it comes to abortion, both candidates have made their positions very clear. Ryan supports a woman's right to choose while Vance has thrown his support behind a nationwide ban of the medical procedure at 15 weeks gestation.
When it comes to healthcare costs, Ryan supported the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped monthly insulin prices at $35 and gave Medicare the ability to negotiate prices on some of the most commonly purchased drugs starting in 2026.
Vance, who fought against Republicans for repealing Obamacare in 2017, said he is not philosophically opposed to some form of universal, government-provided healthcare.
Vance praised some policies that were contained in the Inflation Reduction Act, such as the cap on insulin prioces and giving Medicare negiation measures.
He also has said US should allow the re-importation of drugs that are sold for cheaper prices in other countries.
What Vance and Ryan have debated about, despite it not being a huge sticking point among the voters 10TV spoke to, is the topic of US energy independence.
Vance backs the expansion of nuclear power while Ryan, a proponent of fighting climate change by reducing emissions, supports natural gas as playing a major role in reducing global carbon emissions.
Both Ryan and Vance spent a lot of time during both debates about immigration and the threat of China taking American jobs, but neither of those issues resonated among the voters we spoke to.
The battle for Ohio’s congressional seat may be the most watched race in the country.
Ryan leads Vance by three percentage points (44%-41%) among independent voters, according to a Suffolk University poll released on Oct. 18.
Vance is leading among independent men, while Ryan leads among independent women.
Vance is holding a 47% to 45% lead over Ryan overall.
Most polls have the two candidates in a dead heat.