No. 1 Issue in Presidential Pick is Economy and Jobs, Okie Small Biz Owners Say

• Joe Wertz
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  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

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President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney finish their debate at the University of Denver.

Adding a little fuel to the pre-debate frenzy …

Thirty-five percent of about 6,000 small business owners in Oklahoma said the economy and jobs are the single most important issue informing their choice in the upcoming presidential election, according to a new survey by George Washington University and Thumbtack.com.

Drilling down on specific economic/job issues, survey respondents were most concerned with the federal budget deficit, followed by unemployment and the job market, inflation and gas prices.

Health care costs were No. 5 on that list, and none of the responding small business owners said taxes were an issue affecting their choice for president.

Which candidate is more supportive of small businesses, the survey asked? The Oklahoma response: 43 percent said Mitt Romney; 20 percent said Barack Obama; 37 percent said they weren’t sure.