TOPEKA, Kan. (KAKE) - What goes through the average voter's mind when they are casting their vote? Is it political party, maybe an issue like health care or education, or a specific candidate is nicer than another?

For Teresa Rose, it was the economy.

"The inflation and interest rates and all that we just need somebody that's gonna speak for us people," Rose said. 

The economy is historically the issue that wins or loses elections according to political experts.

So, with the Federal Reserve announcing Wednesday that it is again raising interest rates as a way to try and lower high inflation, how could this potentially swing some close races in Kansas?

“This is an adjustment that I think is coming too late in the election season," said Friends University Political Science Professor Dr. Russell Arben Fox. 

Fox says that with less than a week to go, a lot of the narratives about the economy are pretty well set.

"If this had happened three weeks ago, or two weeks ago, it probably could have entered into the churn," Fox said. 

On top of that, Dr. Fox says this rate hike is also more of a national economy talking point and that Governor Kelly has done a good job of distancing herself from national issues and the Democratic politicians like President Biden.

"The baseline isn't national inflation rates, the baseline isn't President Biden in Washington D.C., the baseline is school closures in 2017, and budget problems, four or five, six years ago."

You can find more information about the 2022 Kansas Primary Election here.