There’s a catchall phrase that’s been tossed around as parody for decades, but feels increasingly earnest: In this economy? As in:

Go out to eat, in this economy?

Go to a concert, in this economy?

Get a Christmas tree, in this economy?

It’s not just you. Thousands of Coloradans have responded to the statewide Voter Voices survey, an effort by more than 60 newsrooms, led by the Colorado News Collaborative, to break from horse-race reporting and cover the upcoming election in a way that truly serves our readers.

The survey asks participants to rank the top three issues that they want to see candidates address from 13 categories, along with an open-ended question at the top of the survey: “What do you want candidates to talk about as they compete for your vote?”

As of May 28, 4,558 Coloradans had taken the survey. Nearly 15% said that the economy was the No. 1 issue that they want to hear about in the coming months, ranking second behind “democracy and good government,” which 40% of participants consider the biggest issue.

The economy and cost of living were ranked as the most important issue among voters ages 18 to 29 and conservative voters in rural regions. Groups that ranked the economy as the second-most important issue include voters ages 30 to 44 and 45 to 64; male voters; voters in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 8th Congressional Districts; conservative voters; moderate voters; and voters in urban, suburban and rural regions of the state.

In other words, Coloradans from every political party, every region and just about every age group are feeling pressure from the economy, and they want politicians to do something about it.

“Automobile insurance, homeowners insurance, taxes and God-awful groceries,” said Theresa Springer, a 65-year-old rancher who lives in Hartsel in rural Park County. “Everything just went way, way high.”