New polling suggests a broad and bipartisan consensus in battleground states when it comes to federal help for parents raising children.
The survey released Wednesday by the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation (PPC) polled 600 likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, with results exhibiting strong majorities in favor of federal support for increasing the Child Tax Credit, universal preschool funding, childcare subsidies, and paid family and medical leave.
And Republicans are on board too, so championing these issues may be the key to making inroads in these closely-fought battlegrounds and picking up their cumulative 77 electoral votes.
“There is strong bipartisan support for the Federal government taking a more active role in strengthening the support system for families, especially those with children,” remarks program director Steven Kull, by way of contextualizing the numbers.
With Kamala Harris and J.D. Vance both championing an increase in the Child Tax Credit this cycle, it’s no surprise that the proposal is getting traction in these half-dozen states.
Support in each state ranges from 69% in Wisconsin to 77% in Georgia, where a robust 71% of Republicans are in favor.
The $6,000 level is what Harris floated in rolling out her policy proposals earlier this month. For his part, Vance proposed a $5,000 credit.
Unsurprisingly, the child tax credit is more popular with younger voters than the older set, with only 43% of senior citizens in favor across the swing states.
Universal preschool is even more popular, meanwhile, with overall support ranging from 76% in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to 83% in Georgia and Michigan, again with resounding GOP support ranging from 63% to 78% across the six swing states.
Childcare subsidies are also a political winner across party lines, with a proposal tested to make it free for low-income parents and capped at 7% of income for the middle-income cohort.
Overall support for the scheme ranges from 74% in Wisconsin to 80% in Georgia, where 72% of Republicans like the idea of government helping parents with childcare costs.
Battleground voters also like the idea of Uncle Sam forcing small companies to offer paid family leave, in addition to extending the same consideration to new hires and part-time workers.
But Republicans aren’t as eager to embrace this idea.
Only 52% of GOP registrants in Nevada and 55% of Pennsylvania Republicans are on board, but it’s more popular in the other states, with a high-water mark of 67% in Michigan. Overall support for the concept ranges from 68% to 75%, however, showing it resonates outside the Republican base.
