Economic issues are driving voter choice in 2026 midterms

(CN) — Most voters want to hear congressional candidates talk about economic issues, specifically prices and affordability, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Thursday.

However, Americans are about evenly split over which party they most agree with on economic policies: 37% say the Democratic Party, while 36% say the Republican Party.

The poll conducted between July 6-12 among 3,554 adults aimed to find out what issues are at the top of voters’ minds as the November midterm elections near.

Despite President Donald Trump claiming the country was in its “golden age” during his speech at a Georgia high school Wednesday, Americans’ view of the nation’s economy remains negative.

Only 24% of those surveyed rated current economic conditions in the country as excellent or good, while 41% say they are “only fair” and 35% describe them as poor.

Economic optimism has also declined, with the majority less likely than they were in January to expect the economy to improve over the course of the next year.

Large majorities of Americans remain very concerned about the cost of healthcare, food and consumer goods, and housing, according to the center. Concern over gas prices has risen over 50% since the beginning of the year.

Six-in-ten Americans now say that Trump’s economic policies have worsened economic conditions in the country, an increase from the more than 50% who held this view last fall.

How the stock market is doing was listed at the bottom of Americans’ concerns, even though Trump spent a good portion of his Wednesday speech boasting it.

The research center also found that Trump is playing a large role in congressional campaigns. Most voters say the president is a factor in their fall vote, with more saying they think their vote is against Trump, than those who say they think of it as a vote in his favor.

Trump’s approval rating stands at 34%, according to the poll, which could cause voters to sway away from candidates who are closely aligned with the president. While most Republican voters still approve of his job performance, 64% of overall Americans say they disapprove, a rate unchanged since April.

Researchers also revealed Democrats currently have both an edge in voters’ congressional candidate preferences, and an engagement advantage among their coalition. In contrast to the 2022 midterm campaign, where Republicans held a modest edge on both engagement measures at a similar stage.

Voters in both partisan coalitions are fairly split over whether they are looking for candidates who prioritize seeking common ground with the opposing party or for candidates who would push hard for the policies their voters want, according to the poll.

As has been the case in the past several elections, white registered voters say they would choose the Republican congressional candidate. Meanwhile, Black voters overwhelmingly support Democrats, as do most Asian and Hispanic voters.

The outcome of the midterm election could shake up Republican’s control of both chambers of Congress. In both the Senate and House of Representatives, they currently hold only six more seats than Democrats.

Several states are also electing new governors with top statewide offices up for grabs.

The study provides an early insight into voters’ views. With congressional primaries still ongoing and several months to go until the general election, Pew Research Center said these preferences could change.

Additionally, turnout in midterm elections tends to be relatively low, at least much lower than in presidential elections, so the subset of people who actually cast ballots may look different from all registered voters.

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