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Political strategists from both sides of the aisle are sounding off about what issues they think voters will care most about as they head to the polls for this year's midterm elections.

A number of those strategists spoke with Fox News Digital to give their predictions about which direction voters might swing in an election cycle that historically sees the party not in power, the Republicans in this case, make significant gains in Congress and other races.

Despite differences in opinion as to how the hot-button issues of abortion and gun control would sway voters, the one thing they all agreed on was that the economic challenges plaguing the country would take center stage when it came to which party Americans would ultimately support.

Democratic strategist James Carville pointed to the country's economic woes as the main indicator for how the midterms could go. Munoz for ICSS Livepic/Getty Images

TEXAS HOUSE COULD DOUBLE NUMBER OF GOP WOMEN IN NOVEMBER: WERE SICK OF HAVING THE LEFT SPEAK FOR US'

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville poured water on the idea that concern over guns would make a significant impact in the elections and pointed to the country's economic woes as the main indicator for how the midterms could go.

"Historically it hasn't been a dominant issue," he said, referencing the impact guns could have on election results, but noted it could have a specific effect on some Democratic voters concerned about other "cultural" issues like the environment and abortion.

Carville admitted that the outlook for Democrats in the midterms was "not going in a very good direction," but that they could potentially "cut their losses short" if voters did decide to turn out over fears that a Supreme court decision ending Roe v. Wade would lead to future decisions they might oppose.

Earlier in the spring, voters' concerns centered largely on the Biden administration's handling of the numerous economic challenges facing Americans, including a near 40-year-high inflation rate and record-high gas prices. However, the discussion on the political landscape surrounding the midterms was upended in May with the leaking of a Supreme Court draft memo suggesting the nation's highest court might be set to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision legalizing abortion nationwide.

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The leaked draft memo was followed by the shooting deaths of 10 people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket, as well as the shooting last week at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers.

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Each of those events sparked intense political rhetoric from Democrats over future access to abortions, as well as potential gun control legislation, that began making its way into conversations surrounding the elections.

Carville ultimately predicted Democrats' performance would depend on the economy, specifically pointing to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and income growth.

He argued "Democrats might do better" if those two indicators improved, but that for now it was "like watching two horses race back and forth."

"The big problem for this White House and the Democratic Party, is they've created so many other problems that are competing with abortion or guns among voters, and it's going to be hard to put those aside," said former Trump administration adviser Kellyanne Conway, specifically mentioning high gas prices, supply chain issues, and the shortage of baby formula affecting families with newborns.

Conway argued that Democrats were trying to capitalize on issues like abortions and guns, two topics she discussed at length in her new memoir, "Here's the Deal," but that they were "competing with themselves for voters" because of their handling of the economic challenges affecting Americans.

She added that Democrats were making "significant miscalculations" by thinking that voters only cared about certain issues, but noted that the recent shooting tragedies and concern over Roe v. Wade could still drive more people to the polls.

People use voting machines to fill out their ballots in the Georgia primary at the Metropolitan Library on May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor Kevin Walling talked about the importance of issues like guns and abortion, but repeated the same argument made by Carville and Conway that voters' intentions would come down to the "bread and butter issues."

"It's still going to be inflation as the core focus, I think, of voters going to the polls," he said.

Walling stated that Roe v. Wade and guns could come into play in some races across the country where those issues stand out specifically for certain constituents, but that "it really is going to be the economy."

He added that "the million-dollar question" was which party would come out on top in November, but that he was "bullish" about Democrats' chances despite their economic challenges.

President Biden clears his throat as he announces new steps requiring government to buy more made-in-America goods on March 4, 2022. Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein

Voters' concerns about the economy have also been evident when it comes to President Biden's approval rating.

According to a poll published last month by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Research, only 18% of respondents said Bidens policies had helped more than they had hurt the economy, while 51% said his policies had hurt more than they had helped.

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Democratic, Republican strategists agree economy will trounce guns, abortion as 'number one issue' in midterms - Yahoo News

Mifepristone, an abortion pill, also known as RU 486. (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty ... [+] Images)

Since last months leak of Justice Alitos draft majority opinion, which says that the Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the abortion wars have dominated the U.S. domestic news cycle.

Removing abortion as a constitutional right would, in Alitos words, return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives. While this could mean Congress, its clear from a recent attempt to codify Roe v. Wade, the Democrats lack the votes to succeed. And so, it will be up to states to determine who has access to abortion services, and under which conditions.

Most of the discussion has focused on in-hospital or in-clinic abortion procedures. But, some Republican-led states may ban the abortion pill, even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it.

In 2000, the FDA approved Mifeprex (mifepristone) for medication abortion. Mifepristone is a drug that blocks progesterone, which is needed for a pregnancy to continue. When used in conjunction with misoprostol, mifepristone ends early pregnancies (up to 10 weeks following conception).

Mifepristone has been in use in Europe for nearly three decades with a minimal number of adverse events. And, the drug has had a similar safety record in the U.S since its approval in 2000. Between September 2000 and December 2018, just 24 of the 3.7 million women who had undergone medicated abortions have died.

Medication abortion accounts for about 42% of all abortions in the U.S. Notably, since 2000 a steady decline in abortions of all kinds has coincided with the availability of mifepristone.

While until now no state has banned medication abortions, Oklahomas Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, will soon sign legislation outlawing all abortions from the moment of fertilization. Presumably, this would include a prohibition of the use of mifepristone and misoprostol. Other states may follow suit.

But, its unclear whether states can prohibit the use of a medication the FDA has approved. The FDAs mandate is to review the safety and efficacy of therapeutics, diagnostics, and devices, based on clinical evidence. As such, the FDA is the federal authority on all pharmaceuticals distributed throughout the U.S., including mifepristone and misoprostol. On this basis, FDA approval of a drug would appear to preempt state action.

Furthermore, in December 2021 the FDA lifted a major restriction on access to abortion pills. It now allows patients to receive such pills by mail, rather than requiring women to obtain the medications in person from specially certified healthcare providers.

Some Republican-led states may, however, argue that they can ban abortion drugs because they have the authority to regulate the practice of medicine. Indeed, 19 states have already prohibited telemedicine visits for abortifacients. By claiming there are medical risks with abortion drugs governors and legislators who are opposed to abortion pills maintain the state as having a compelling interest in regulating them. Its uncertain how this will impact women being able to obtain out-of-state medications by mail.

The most obvious retort to this is, why dont states bother to regulate most other pharmaceuticals, as they all carry risk, including many with a far greater likelihood of adverse events than mifepristone?

And, the current line of reasoning echoes previous disingenuous appeals made in the autumn of 2020 by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and 20 other Republican senators. They sent a letter to the FDA formally requesting that the agency remove Mifeprex from the market. The 21 senators claimed Mifeprex is deadly and an imminent hazard to the public health. Cruz tweeted Make no mistake, Mifeprex is a dangerous pill.

Once again, this begs the question, what is the relative safety risk for women associated with the use of mifepristone? As referenced above, the safety risk appears to be minimal. Here, Cruz and others resort to a red herring to deflect attention from their main concern; abortions of any kind and at any time during a pregnancy.

Rhetoric notwithstanding, the Senators letter wasnt in fact an appeal to the FDA based on clinical evidence regarding Mifeprexs safety. Rather, the letter objects to the use of Mifeprex because of what the senators view as an opportunistic ploy to expand access to abortion.

In the wake of the leaked draft decision by the Supreme Court on Roe v. Wade, the battle lines on abortion have hardened. As a result - and is invariably the case in a polarized U.S. - politics gets in the way of there ever being a shared common ground on which people with different perspectives on abortion could have factual discussions about Mifeprexs good relative risk profile and whether Mifeprexs availability is associated with more abortions. Regarding the latter, evidently this is not the case, as abortions of all kinds have been steadily decreasing for decades.

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Next Up In The Abortion Wars: Some Republican-Led States May Restrict Or Even Ban Access To Mifeprex, Used To End Early Pregnancy - Forbes

The NRAs national convention began in Houston only days after a mass shooting at a Texas school, creating an uncomfortable juxtaposition that led some speakers to withdraw. Others, including former President Donald Trump, went ahead with their plans to speak.

McCrory blamed institutional breakdown from the federal to local level for not preventing horrific events such as the Tuesday shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and said gun violence was a cultural problem.

McCrory, who lost a GOP primary for one of North Carolinas Senate seats earlier this month to Rep. Ted Budd, said the culture of gun ownership and the symbolism of guns was a manifestation of Americans distrust with the criminal justice system and the sentiment that Im going to take this into my own hands.

I was the mayor [of Charlotte] for 14 years and I had reduced the murder rate by over 50 percent due to some tough law enforcement, and some mentoring, and other programs, he said. I lost the primary two weeks ago to a congressman who had a gun in his front trousers in a commercial.

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North Carolina Republican: NRA has been pushed to the right - POLITICO

WATERLOO, Iowa (KWWL)- In the wake of mass shootings at a hospital in Tulsa, a supermarket in Buffalo, and an elementary school in Uvalde, lawmakers are under growing pressure to take action.

House Democrats are pushing legislation that, among other things, would raise the legal age to buy an assault weapon from 18 to 21 and make it a federal offense to sell or possess high-capacity magazines. A bipartisan group of Senators is working on a bill that includes boosting school security measures and expanding background checks.

There is also growing criticism of some of the Republican members of Congress over the amount of campaign contributions they have accepted from the National Rifle Association.

According to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, ranks sixth among all current senators in NRA contributions. As of 2019, the center said Ernst received $3,129,723 in her political career from the NRA. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has accepted more than $225,000 in his career. Neither Grassley nor Ernst responded to a request for comment from KWWL on Thursday.

KWWL also searched for NRA contributions on the Federal Election Commissions website.

"Congresswoman Hinson supports the Second Amendment," Hinson Campaign Manager Sophie Crowell said in a written statement. "In Congress, she's focused on bolstering school safety, equipping law enforcement with resources and training, and delivering critical mental health resources to our communities to prevent gun violence."

None of the other members of Iowa's Republican Congressional delegation responded to KWWL's request for comment and questions about how much money they received from the NRA.

lth resources to our communities to prevent gun violence."

Megan Goldberg, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Cornell College, said there is not much research to support the idea that special interest groups can buy votes in Congress. Instead, the significant donations can buy meeting time with lawmakers.

"Interest groups donate to candidates who already support their policies, which buys them access later," she said. "It buys them energy and effort on the part of that member of Congress, but it doesn't always change that vote at the end."

Dr. Chris Larimer, a Professor of Political Science at theUniversity of Northern Iowa, Coordinator of UNI'sMaster in Public PolicyProgram and KWWL Political Analyst said the NRA does not spend as much on contributions to candidates as compared to other groups. However, the organization is still a powerful force in politics.

"It's not just isolated to one region of the country.," Larimer said. "They do have a lot of political force because they have large numbers, they are well financed and geographically dispersed across the country."

Goldberg said the reak power of the NRA is its ability to mobilize its base, for or against a candidate, particularly in a primary.

"The NRA is good at getting their members to turn out to vote," she said. "Primaries are low turnout elections, and they're low information, so the NRA can be powerful, especially in state primary elections when you're talking about state legislators."

The NRA does report cards for politicians, grading their past votes and willingness to adopt gun control measures. Goldberg said even without spending any money, the NRA still exerts pressure on Republican lawmakers. Many are fearful of what could happen if they go against the NRA.

"There's probably some fear of backlash among especially Republican candidates that a bad grade by the NRA could be used by an opponent later, even if the NRA isn't directly sort of spending any money there," Goldberg said.

Larimer said an A or A-Plus grade from the NRA can influence a Republican primary. It can mean more for specific candidates depending on the districts they are running for.

"That's viewed as more credibility on what is considered Republican issues," he said.

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Tracking the NRA's Contributions to Iowa's Republican members of Congress - kwwl.com

Retired Navy Capt. Hung Cao prevailed in Saturdays 11-way Republican nomination in Virginias 10th Congressional District.

As of Sunday afternoon, the district Republican committee had yet to post numerical results from the firehouse primary. The party posted that Cao won around 2 a.m.

Cao's campaign later stated he won by 18 percent in the crowded field.

Cao, who served in U.S. special operations for more than 25 years, is an immigrant from Vietnam who spent seven years in Africa before moving to the U.S. and joining the Navy.

Cao will be on the ballot with incumbent Democrat Jennifer Wexton this November. Politico rates the 10th District as "likely Democratic."

Last year, Virginians sent a clear message when they elected Governor Youngkin to lead our state in Richmond, and now, we are ready to send another message by electing a common-sense conservative outsider to represent this district in Washington, Cao said in a news release. The Biden-Wexton agenda has failed our district in more ways than one, and its time we hold them accountable for the record crime rates, out-of-control inflation, botched foreign policy, and indoctrination of our children in the classroom.

Eleven candidates were vying for the nomination. In addition to Cao, they were Loudoun County School Board member John Beatty, David Beckwith, Mike Clancy, Manassas City Councilor Theresa Coates Ellis, John Henley, Prince William County Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, Caleb Max, Jeff Mayhugh, Brandon Michon and Brooke Taylor.

In a statement Sunday, Lawson thanked her volunteers and supporters and endorsed Cao.

It is critical that we defeat Jennifer Wexton and her extreme agenda this fall, and I will be proud to support Hung in doing just that, she said.

Wexton was first elected to Congress in 2018. Before that, she served in the Virginia General Assembly.

Ive spent my career in public service working to improve the lives of the children and families in our community, and I am excited to continue sharing my record of bipartisan success delivering for my constituents throughout this reelection campaign," Wexton said in a statement Sunday.

In Rappahannock County, which joined the 10th district after redistricting, turnout was higher than party leaders anticipated.

As the polls were nearing closing on Saturday afternoon, Rappahannock County Republican Committee Chair Terry Dixon said close to 300 Republican voters cast their ballots in the canvass. He had only expected between 100 and 200 party members to show up.

Dixon attributed the higher than expected turnout to Republican resentment with rising inflation and interest rates, as well as newfound energy in the base over the increasing likelihood that the U.S. The Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade and strip Americans of abortion rights. Republicans have the energy right now and theyre mad and thats what it takes, he said. You know, people gotta be angry and mad to get something done.

Campaign representatives for Cao, Beckwith, Beatty and Clancy were stationed outside the polling place, located at Rappahannock County Elementary School.

Campaign volunteer Ed Timperlake stands at the Hung Cao tent in Rappahannock County during the GOP's 10th District firehouse primary Saturday.

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Cao wins Republican nomination in 10th District | Headlines | insidenova.com - Inside NoVA