The View from the Ballot Box

CHICAGO — While political pundits are predicting a 2024 presential race with razor-thin margins at this moment, the choice is much clearer in the drycleaning space.

For this American Drycleaner Your Views survey, we asked our audience about their plans for election day, and what they believe are the driving forces in 2024.

When asked who they were voting for in the presidential race, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance won the race in the drycleaning segment, netting 62.1% of the vote. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz took home 34.5% of the vote, with Cornel West (Independent), Chase Oliver (Libertarian) and Jill Stein (Green) receiving no votes.

We also asked which issue would most influence their votes, “jobs and the economy” was the hands-down winner with 44.8%. “Protecting the U.S. Constitution and democracy” came in second, with 20.7%. Other topics receiving votes were immigration (17.2%), civil rights (6.9%), healthcare (6.9%), and national security (3.4%).

Our respondents were asked, “What action could the next administration take within its first 100 days to assist dry cleaners and other similar-sized businesses?” Some of the answers we received included:

Drill, baby, drill
Funding for growth and employee benefits. Promote local businesses with better tax breaks for smaller companies.
Cut taxes. Eliminate foreign aid. Fix the border. Concentrate on the US. Our people need attention. Stop funding wars. Negotiate peace. Enough with globalist thinking and empire building. Get our house in order. I don’t want the government “to do” something for me. Get out of our way. Eliminate half the nonsense you focus on.

When asked “which election do you think will have the greatest impact on your business, 72.4% felt that the presidential election affect them the most. State races came in second, with 13.8%, followed by congressional races (10.3%) and local races (3.4%).

We also asked what our respondents, “What is the most overlooked issue in the 2024 presidential campaign that could significantly affect the drycleaning industry?” Answers included:

The biggest issue for dry cleaners is the high inflation and interest rates. This is driving real estate & occupancy costs up and making it harder and harder to do business and keep EBITDA margins.
National security. We are a joke. We have to secure our nation or every business is in jeopardy.
Allow more immigrants into the country. Offer 5-year work permits to ease the labor market. Fingerprint and ID cards with the work permits to anyone who wants to work and more pathways to citizenship.

Finally, when asked for additional comments about the election, answers included:

Both parties have a record. Which one was better for you?
Trump 2024 — we are in big trouble if we continue down this same disastrous road we’re on. Hope and joy — give me a break! Vote Trump and let’s get to work.
You can vote Harris this time and it doesn’t mean you’re a Democrat, (because we can survive a Democratic administration): it means you’re a Patriot (because we cannot survive a second, supercharged Trump administration).
It will be a close election.

The “Your Views” survey offers a current snapshot of the trade audience’s views. The publication invites qualified subscribers to American Drycleaner emails to participate anonymously in the unscientific poll each quarter.