New Hampshire voters' concerns about the war in Iraq are being increasingly eclipsed by their worries about the troubled economy, a recent University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll shows.

Forty-one percent of 519 voters polled last month said the economy was the most important issue in determining their vote for the upcoming presidential election. Just 8 percent named the war, down from 17 percent in an April poll. Meanwhile, concern over the economy increased from 32 percent in April.

Voters interviewed recently in Concord said the war still matters to them and plays a big role in shaping their opinions of the candidates. But, several said, as the violence in Iraq decreases and news about rising gas prices dominates the headlines, the economy has become this summer's hot issue.

"To me, there are more important issues (than the war) right now," said Rob Nordgren, 39, of Concord, a supporter of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. "But I do strongly favor Obama's position on Iraq. We need a strict plan to extract ourselves from that war."

Nordgren said he was paying more attention to the candidates' stances on the war a year ago, before both Democrats and Republicans were talking about eventually withdrawing troops from Iraq.

"For me, today versus a year ago, there seems to be more momentum for the United States pulling out of Iraq, and the violence is down," Nordgren said. "For those reasons, it's less of an issue now."

Gary Sobelson, 51, of Concord, said he thinks an increase in violence in Iraq could turn the tables. He said opinions about the war are "media-driven," and the news media are focused on the economy right now.

"Gas prices are up, and we're all talking about it," said Sobelson, who supports Obama. "If there were a sudden surge of violence in the Middle East, I think that (the war) would float to the top again. . . . I think some Democrats are worried that an uptick in the war could benefit the Republican party."

It wouldn't make a difference to Michael Geary, who spent 23 years in the Air Force. Geary, 51, of Concord, said he's supported presumptive Republican nominee John McCain since the beginning, mainly because of his position on the war. McCain last year supported sending more troops to Iraq.

"The economy is crap, sure, but my first concern is the safety of our country," Geary said.

Elizabeth Baker, 22, of Bow, has been personally affected by both the war and the economy. Her boyfriend is a Marine and will deploy to Afghanistan in January. She's also a recent college graduate with a business degree who can't find a marketing job because, she said, the economy is so rotten.

"I'm thinking about that more than anything these days," she said. Still, Baker said, Obama's views on the war greatly influenced her decision to support him. He's called to withdraw troops over 16 months.

Her mother, Karen Baker, 53, agreed.