Voters are favoring Democrats over Republicans on the economy and cost of living, but large shares of the public say they do not trust either party to solve the country’s problems, according to recent polling.
Thirty-eight percent of registered voters said Democrats would do a better job handling the cost of living, compared with 27% who chose Republicans. Another 27% said neither party would do a good job, according to an Associated Press-NORC poll conducted last week.
Democrats have also gained ground on the economy. About 4 in 10 registered voters now say Democrats would handle the economy better, up from 26% of U.S. adults who said the same in February.
But the poll found broad dissatisfaction with both parties. Fifty-five percent of registered voters said the Republican Party is not able to solve important problems, while 48% said the same of Democrats. Only about 2 in 10 voters said either party is focused on helping people like them or is able to solve important problems.
Republicans were more likely than Democrats to be viewed as focused on wealthy and powerful people. About 6 in 10 registered voters said the description “focused on helping rich and powerful people” described the Republican Party “extremely” or “very” well, compared with 32% who said the same of Democrats.
Nearly half of voters also said the word “corrupt” describes the Republican Party “extremely” or “very” well, compared with 37% for Democrats.
President Donald Trump faces similarly negative assessments. Sixty-eight percent of registered voters described Trump as “too extreme,” including about one-third of Republicans. Fifty-five percent said the Republican Party itself is too extreme, compared with 45% who said the same of Democrats.
The poll also found divisions within the Democratic Party. Forty-six percent of Democratic voters said their party is too moderate, while a similar share said its current level of moderation is about right. Republican voters were more likely to say their party is about right.
The findings come as both parties prepare for the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with economic concerns emerging as a central issue.
The Cook Political Report recently shifted 15 House race ratings toward Democrats in September, saying Republicans risk losing their House majority. Democrats currently hold 215 House seats and need a net gain of three to reach a majority. Cook estimates Democrats could gain between five and 15 seats.
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Projections for the Senate are looking similarly bleak for Republicans. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll showed reliably red states found Democratic Senate candidates tied or ahead of their Republican opponents in states Trump won by between 11 and 16 percentage points in 2024.
The AP-NORC poll was conducted Sept. 24 to 28 among 2,140 U.S. adults, including 1,766 registered voters. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points for adults overall and 3.1 percentage points.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
