Economic pressures and dissatisfaction with the direction of the United States are emerging as major concerns ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new survey of likely voters.
The poll, conducted by Cygnal and Impact Research for the Bipartisan Policy Center Action and American Policy Ventures, questioned 1,500 likely general election voters between September 1 and 2.
More than six in 10 respondents, representing 60.5 per cent, said they believed the country was mostly or definitely heading in the wrong direction. In comparison, 36.2 per cent said the US was moving mostly or definitely in the right direction, while 3.3 per cent were uncertain.
The survey also measured voters’ preferences for congressional candidates if the midterm election were held at the time of the poll.
A total of 50.7 per cent said they would probably or definitely vote for a Democratic candidate, compared with 42.1 per cent who said they would probably or definitely support a Republican. Another 7.2 per cent said they were undecided.
Affordability and the state of the economy featured prominently among voters’ concerns, particularly amid complaints about higher petrol prices, grocery bills and inflation during the Iran war.
The survey further found that many Americans believe the Federal Government is not doing enough to assist families despite the taxes they pay.
About 66.6 per cent said the government was doing somewhat too little or way too little to support people raising families. Only 14.7 per cent considered the government’s level of support appropriate, while 10.5 per cent believed it was doing somewhat or far too much.
Healthcare and insurance expenses topped the list of issues causing respondents the most stress, followed by the cost of groceries and food and expenses related to rent or mortgages.
The financial pressures differed among respondents depending on their circumstances. Parents raising children reported greater concern about housing costs, while those caring for elderly or disabled relatives were more affected by healthcare expenses.
Liam deClive-Lowe, president of American Policy Ventures, said the findings indicated that policies designed to assist families could attract support beyond party lines.
“Too often, Members of Congress face political backlash for working across the aisle,” he said in a press release.
“But this poll shows that policies to support families have widespread backing across the political spectrum. The lawmakers who are leading on these issues have an opportunity to help break through the rising tide of polarization through concrete policy results that help American families.”
BPC Action president Michele Stockwell similarly said the survey demonstrated that the cost of raising a family was a concern shared by voters across political affiliations.
Stockwell said the “poll underscores an important point for Washington: the cost of raising a family is not a partisan issue.”
“Two-thirds of voters say the federal government is doing too little, and majorities of Republicans, Independents, and Democrats want solutions. That is a mandate to act,” Stockwell said.
