(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) The Republican turnout to recent midterm primaries in Ohio and Indiana has flustered many Democrats, including NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd, the Citizen Free Press reported.
“You have two states where you got Republican turnout up by 30%, you got two states where the Democrat turnout is just not tracking with that relative to 2018,” said political correspondent Steve Kornacki.
“So again, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, these state coming up, let’s see if this becomes a pattern,” he continued.
Todd noted with alarm that earlier bellwethers, such as the 2021 races in Virginia and New Jersey also offered a foreboding sign for Democrats.
“You could also stretch it back to November of last year where you saw disparities in turnout on the right and the left in certain base constituencies,” he said.
Kornacki attributed this surge in GOP voters to “Republican enthusiasm,” referencing the near-win for the New Jersey GOP that took left-wing pundits by surprise.
“South Jersey… was the core Republican area where that red wave really hit,” Kornacki responded. “The turnout dwarfed what you saw in north Jersey, which is the reason that was a three point race—Republican enthusiasm.”
Todd responded by returning to the recent surges in the Midwest, expressing distress over the newfound enthusiasm of conservative voters.
“We’ve seen it in our polling, you’re starting to see it here,” Todd fretted.
“Two is not a pattern, but it is concerning if you are on the ‘D’ side of the aisle right now.
Kornacki also noted that the disparity between Republican and Democrat voter turnouts has only been growing since 2018, using Ohio primaries as an example.
“This is what Ohio looks like: Democratic turn out is down 27% in their primary relative to 2018. On the Republican side, turnout up 28%.”
GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted about the Ohio turnout, explaining that it was the highest Republican midterm turn out in history.
In Ohio, Republicans had our highest midterm primary turnout EVER!
232K MORE Republicans voted compared to 2018, while 169K FEWER Democrats turned out.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) May 4, 2022
“In Ohio, Republicans had our highest midterm primary turnout EVER!” she tweeted. “232K MORE Republicans voted compared to 2018, while 169K FEWER Democrats turned out.”
