Gallup polling: Where people sit on election the parties, politicians?

Me? I blame Voldemort for high prices, not Joe. Plus I'd like to leave Iran and trust they'll be fair about letting oil flow (& using the bomb). I think it's time we turned to a socialist to run the show, like they have over in France. That seems to be working out fairly well.

Oct. 30, 2026

Welcome to Front Page, Gallup's indispensable intelligence distilled into five charts that give leaders the insights they need to make their most important decisions.

Record Lows Say Incumbents Deserve Reelection

Line chart: U.S. registered voters' belief that members of Congress deserve reelection.

The Data: Forty-three percent of registered voters say their own U.S. representative deserves reelection, while 15% say the same for most members of Congress. Both measures are the lowest final pre-midterm readings in Gallup's trends dating back to 1994.

Congressional Approval: Fourteen percent of U.S. adults approve of the job Congress is doing, the lowest pre-midterm reading in Gallup's trend since 1974. In all nine previous midterms when congressional approval was below 30%, the president's party lost House seats, although losses varied considerably. By comparison, in September, 52% of U.S. adults said they approve of the job their own representative is doing.

2. Democrats Hold Edge in Midterm Voting Enthusiasm

Line chart: Enthusiasm about voting in midterm elections, by party.

The Data: Fifty-eight percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say they are more enthusiastic than usual about voting in this year’s election, compared with 48% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

The Trend: Democratic enthusiasm has been higher only in the 2018 midterms (65%), while Republican enthusiasm is below its 2010 and 2018 levels. Historically, party advantages in enthusiasm have coincided with changes in House control in some midterms, including 1994, 2006 and 2010.

3. Thought Given to the Election Elevated

Line chart: Percentage of Americans giving quite a lot of thought to the election in midterm years.

The Data: Fifty-six percent of U.S. adults say they have given quite a lot of thought to the upcoming congressional elections, the highest Gallup has measured at this point in a midterm campaign since 1958.

The Trend: Election attention was similarly high in 2010 (55%), 2018 (54%) and 1994 (52%), three midterms in which the president's party experienced substantial House seat losses. However, as with voting enthusiasm, heightened attention has not consistently translated into changes in House control.

4. Economy, Healthcare Top Voter Priorities

Stacked bar chart: Importance of issues to vote for Congress.

The Data: Half of registered voters rate the economy and healthcare as extremely important to their vote for Congress this year, and 47% rate the situation in Iran this highly. Closer to four in 10 rate income and wealth distribution (44%) and gas prices (42%) as extremely important.

The Economy: The 50% of voters rating the economy as extremely important this year is essentially unchanged from 49% in the 2022 midterms amid high inflation, but well above the 34% recorded in 2018, when 55% of Americans rated economic conditions as excellent or good. Still, it falls short of the 63% “extremely important” reading in 2010, when the country was recovering from the Great Recession and about one in 10 Americans rated the economy positively.

5. Economic Ratings Remain Negative Ahead of Midterms

Line chart: Americans' rating of current economic conditions, 2026.

The Data: Americans' net-positive rating of current economic conditions (the percentage rating the economy as excellent or good minus the percentage rating it poor) stands at -29, based on 19% rating conditions positively and 48% negatively.

Party Differences: Republicans' net-positive rating of current economic conditions stands at +32, compared with -68 among Democrats and -37 among independents. Since the final days of President Joe Biden’s term, in January 2025, Republicans' net-positive rating has risen by 81 points, while Democrats' has fallen by 91.