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US midterms 2026: What polls reveal about Democratic, Republican voters
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In Short: In a recent NBC News poll, registered voters prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress by a 7-point margin, with Democrats leading Republicans 52%-45% — 2 points more than in last month’s poll.
Polls released ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections show Democrats leading in key races, with a significant portion of voters expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of the US economy and President Trump's leadership.
According to an NBC poll, 75 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the state of the US economy, and 51 percent said they were dissatisfied with their personal financial situation.
Democratic candidates are leading in well over the 218 seats needed to flip control of the House of Representatives, the polls suggest.
Democratic Party supporters consider the future of democracy very important, with 85 percent of Democrats considering it very important, compared with 69 percent of Republicans.
Despite Trump's approval ratings among his 2024 voters dropping to 67% from 95% early in his second term, nearly two-thirds of voters are calling for a change from the direction Trump has been leading the country.
Former President Barack Obama is rallying Democratic voters in battleground states like Ohio and Michigan, emphasizing the need for unity and highlighting what he sees as the cruelty and indecency coming from President Trump and his Republican allies.
Data centers have complicated the midterm calculus for both parties, and the DOJ has begun issuing subpoenas targeting Democratic officials allegedly connected to recruitment efforts.
In Michigan, the race between Sen Darline Graham and Democratic nominee Annie Andrews has shown to be more competitive, with Obama lending his star power to the Democratic base in Michigan.
The polls indicate a shift in voter sentiment, with Democrats gaining ground despite previous concerns about polling accuracy.
The DOJ's actions and the competitive races in key states highlight the complexity and potential volatility of the midterm elections.
What's confirmed
- Polls released ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections show Democrats leading in key races, with a significant portion of voters expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of the US economy and President Trump's leadership.
- According to an NBC poll, 75 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the state of the US economy, and 51 percent said they were dissatisfied with their personal financial situation.
- Democratic candidates are leading in well over the 218 seats needed to flip control of the House of Representatives, the polls suggest.
- Democratic Party supporters consider the future of democracy very important, with 85 percent of Democrats considering it very important, compared with 69 percent of Republicans.
- Despite Trump's approval ratings among his 2024 voters dropping to 67% from 95% early in his second term, nearly two-thirds of voters are calling for a change from the direction Trump has been leading the country.
- Former President Barack Obama is rallying Democratic voters in battleground states like Ohio and Michigan, emphasizing the need for unity and highlighting what he sees as the cruelty and indecency coming from President Trump and his Republican allies.
- Data centers have complicated the midterm calculus for both parties, and the DOJ has begun issuing subpoenas targeting Democratic officials allegedly connected to recruitment efforts.
- In Michigan, the race between Sen Darline Graham and Democratic nominee Annie Andrews has shown to be more competitive, with Obama lending his star power to the Democratic base in Michigan.
- The polls indicate a shift in voter sentiment, with Democrats gaining ground despite previous concerns about polling accuracy.
- The DOJ's actions and the competitive races in key states highlight the complexity and potential volatility of the midterm elections.
What's still developing
- The Democratic Party has high expectations as it heads into these pivotal US midterm elections.
- Registered voters prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress by a 7-point margin, with Democrats leading Republicans 52%-45% — 2 points more than in last month ’s poll.
- Watch: Mary Peltola denies involvement in Alaska ballot confusion Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola has denied she knew anything about an alleged "scheme" that led to two men named Dan Sullivan standing in the Alaska Senate race.
- Trump had been pushing state Republicans to redraw voting lines so they could flip a seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn.
- Also on Tuesday, a federal court temporarily blocked the redistricting plan Alabama lawmakers had approved to flip a Democratic-held seat there.
- The President launched particularly harsh criticism of El-Sayed immediately after his victory in the Democratic primary in August.
- Although El-Sayed condemned the attack and antisemitism, he described the broader circumstances by saying that “violence is a cycle" and that “hurt people hurt people." The remarks drew criticism, prompting El-Sayed to apologize to the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus in late August.
- The answer, delivered during a debate with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, aligned Marshall with President Donald Trump's freshly antagonistic posture toward Ukraine, which has spent more than four years defending itself against an invasion.
- The Democratic leader — one of the most powerful in the country — has not issued statements to the press or through his social media channels about the Homeland Security Investigations raid on Monday, nor has he done any media appearances to comment on the issue, which critics have described as a five alarm fire for the state of democracy in the U.S.
- The Democratic Senate minority leader has been silent.
- After wrapping up in Ohio, Obama was heading to a rally in Detroit for Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official who is working to unite the Democratic base in Michigan after winning a divisive primary by less than a percentage point.
- “And I don’t know what’s happened where the standards of behavior are so low that somebody could run an ad like that.” Obama, 65, remains the Democratic Party’s best motivator nearly a decade after leaving the White House.