Exclusive: Johnson says economy, border trumped Dems' abortion focus

• "The entire Democrat campaign was run on abortion," Johnson told Axios in an exclusive interview. "They just ran abortion ads 24/7 in all the major markets. And I don't think that's what the people were focused in on."
• "I did events in so many cities...and it was the same concerns everywhere I went: It was the economy and the border, weakness on the world stage and the rising crime rates. ... I think that's what motivated the voters," he added.

The big picture: Democrats, Johnson said, misread voters' sentiments.

• NBC exit polling showed the state of democracy and the economy were the top two issues for voters, with just 14% stating abortion primarily drove their vote.
• "It's a very challenging environment, obviously, but...we have extraordinary candidates, and I think that makes a difference in the end," Johnson said.

The big picture: Even Democrats concede signs are pointing to Republicans keeping a slim margin, with a number of races still undecided.

• That would give Republicans total control of Congress and the White House.