POLITICS
Midterm Elections
Voters want candidates to focus more on the economy, Pew poll shows
Terry CollinsUSA TODAY
July 24, 2026, 5:25 p.m. ET
- A new Pew Research Center poll shows many American voters want congressional candidates to focus on the economy.
- Voters are nearly split on which party they trust more with economic policies, with 37% favoring Democrats and 36% supporting Republicans.
- A majority of Americans, 60%, now believe President Trump’s economic policies have worsened conditions in the country.
- The poll also found that 42% of voters view their midterm vote as a vote against Trump, compared to 22% who see it as a vote for him.
Many American voters want congressional candidates to discuss the economy – especially prices, affordability and taxes, according to a new Pew Research Center survey
A third of those queried wanted the candidates to speak about the economy when campaigning, the poll revealed. Yet, Americans are split over which political party aligns with their views about economic policies: 37% favored the Democrats and 36% supported Republicans, the findings released July 23 showed
Also, 60% of Americans polled now think Trump’s economic policies have harmed economic conditions in the country, an increase from 52% in January, Pew found
Meanwhile, 23% of Americans now say they expect economic conditions to be better a year from now, down from 31% in January, the poll said. And 36% polled expect conditions to be worse in a year, a slight dip from January (38%)
And just 24% of those polled rated current economic conditions in the country as excellent or good, while 41% say the economic conditions are “only fair” and 35% describe them as poor
The numbers mark a slight reversal from before the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in 2025, when Americans were more likely to agree with Republicans than Democrats about economic policy, Pew noted. The poll of 3,554 adults was conducted between July 6 and 12, shortly after Americans celebrated the nation’s 250th birthday
The midsummer findings that give a glimpse into voters’ views also come as Trump’s approval rating continues to slide in recent months, as the increasing cost of living, the ongoing war in Iran, and the administration’s handling of the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak have left Americans dissatisfied with the president’s job performance. The poll had a 1.9% margin of error
The new Pew poll said Trump’s approval rating stands at 34%, which is comparable with findings of similar polls. While most Republican voters still approve of the president’s job performance, about 64% of those Pew polled disapprove, a figure unchanged since April
Poll: Voters say Trump’s huge presence factors in midterm elections
Voters who participated in the new Pew survey believe that Trump’s presence looms large in the campaign and that the president is a factor in how they’ll vote. By nearly a two-to-one margin, 42% of voters polled say they are more likely to think of their vote during November’s midterm elections as a vote against Trump, whereas 22% say they think of it as a vote for the president
This year’s midterm election could alter the Republicans’ slim majority in Congress. The GOP currently holds a thin margin in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Voters polled are fairly split about whether they are looking for candidates who prioritize seeking common ground with the opposing party or candidates who would push hard for the policies voters want them to pursue
The majority of voters surveyed in the Pew poll, 56%, also remain concerned about gas prices, up from 34% in January. The cost per gallon of gas has climbed to more than $4 per gallon nationwide, largely due tothe war in Iran, rising crude oil costs and supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East
The cost of health care, housing, food, energy and consumer goods were also concerns for voters, the poll found
