What’s animating undecided voters in two key states: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

In today’s edition, Ben Kamisar and Bridget Bowman share their observations from our latest round of voter focus groups. Plus, we dive into the role Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are playing in the midterms.

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— Adam Wollner

Focus groups: Deep anxiety about the economy drives undecided voters in two key Senate races

By Ben Kamisar and Bridget Bowman

Concerns about the economy and high costs are driving the thinking of undecided voters in Iowa and Georgia, according to new focus group conversations, as two states that will be central to the fight for the Senate barrel toward Election Day.“Nothing has gotten better as far as the cost of living, inflation — food is astronomical, gas,” said Patty O., a 59-year-old Georgia Republican who voted for Donald Trump in 2024. “The cost of living is so high right now.”

Patty was among a dozen voters up for grabs in two Senate races who participated this week in focus groups produced by Syracuse University and the research firms Engagious and Sago and observed by NBC News. The group comprised six independents, five Republicans and one Democrat. Nine voted for Trump for president two years ago, when he won both states, while three supported then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

All but three of the voters said they feel more anxious about the economy today than when Trump returned to office. Eight said Trump is not focused enough on the issue.

“Among these undecided voters, pervasive economic anxiety is the animating issue in the midterms — not Iran, not immigration, not Israel/Gaza,” said Rich Thau of Engagious, who moderated the sessions.

Overall, eight of the 12 undecided voters said they disapproved of Trump’s job performance during his second term, even though a majority of the disapprovers voted for him in 2024.

Jamie G., a 55-year-old Iowa independent who voted for Trump, said he is “disillusioned with pretty much everything he’s done since he took office.”

“He was going to end conflicts on the first day, which he didn’t do. Instead, he’s gotten us into needless wars. His tariffs have caused prices — it’s been like a tax on things for the American people,” he said.

“He’s more worried about his vanity projects, like the reflecting pool and his ballroom, than he is with the real problems in this country,” he added.

While these voters were undecided in their state’s Senate races, some had made up their minds in the gubernatorial elections. Four of the five Iowa panelists said they would support Democrat Rob Sand. And in Georgia, three said they would vote for Republican Rick Jackson.

Read more →

Biden and Harris return to the campaign airwaves

By Adam Wollner

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are back on the airwaves — this time in a crowded Democratic House primary in Massachusetts.

Dan Koh, a former Biden White House official, began running an ad recently that features the former president and vice president speaking directly to camera in support of his campaign. Koh points to his time in the administration, saying he’s “the only candidate with the experience to take on Trump.” He’s one of a half dozen Democrats running in the deep-blue 6th District to succeed Rep. Seth Moulton, who is challenging Sen. Ed Markey.

“Let’s go Dan Koh,” Biden says to close out the spot. Democrats running in the midterms have generally steered clear of Biden, with wounds from the party’s 2024 defeat in the presidential election still fresh. Prior to Koh, Biden had only issued one endorsement this year: to Keisha Lance Bottoms, another former White House official who is now the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia.

Two of Biden’s Cabinet officials, former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, are on the ballot this fall for governor of California and New Mexico, respectively. As Adam Edelman reported earlier this year, Becerra rarely mentioned Biden directly on the campaign trail, while touting achievements from his time in the administration. For her part, Haaland continued to publicly praise Biden.

Harris has been more involved in midterms as she weighs a 2028 presidential bid. But that hasn’t always been welcome. After Harris’ PAC sent out a fundraising email in support of former Rep. Mary Peltola, the Alaska Democratic Senate candidate distanced herself from the former vice president.

Harris also notably recorded a robocall for Rep. Jasmine Crockett as she ran for the Senate in Texas earlier this year. But Crockett lost the primary to state Rep. James Talarico.

🔵 Meanwhile, in the Senate race: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., endorsed Markey, 80, over Moulton, 47, ahead of the Sept. 1 primary.

➡️ Alleged plot thwarted: A woman has been charged with providing support to a terror group after allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on the New York Capitol building in Albany. Read more →
🔎 Swalwell update: Former Rep. Eric Swalwell had his electronic devices seized and his home searched by the FBI over the weekend. Read more →
💲 Bond watch: Bond yields jumped today, erasing the declines stemming from the Treasury Department’s unusual intervention in the debt market a day earlier. Read more →
🎤 Debate fallout: Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., acknowledged that she “tripped up” during a debate this week when she said national security was “not my thing.” Read more →
🗳️ Picking up the tab: Mike Lindell said he’s willing to foot the bill for a full recount in Minnesota’s GOP primary for governor, which he lost by 11 points. Read more →