Economic frustration and opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies aligned with Democratic gains in the 2026 midterms, according to CBS News voter polls. The Associated Press reported that Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, a result that remains a projection rather than an official certification.
Voters who described the economy as bad backed Democratic House candidates, CBS reported. People who said inflation was a hardship and those who felt their finances had worsened over the previous two years also favored Democrats.
Cost-of-living concerns were widespread. An election survey conducted by SSRS for a consortium that included CBS found that about nine in 10 voters considered the cost of living an important or crucial factor. Among that group, roughly six in 10 voted Democratic in their local House races, according to the AP’s analysis of the survey.
Democrats regained support across key groups
CBS found that majorities of young voters, Latino voters and women supported Democrats for the House after Trump made gains with those groups in 2024. White women narrowly backed Democrats, while men split their votes more evenly than in the previous presidential election.
Independent voters were also important to the Democratic advantage, and Democrats led among people who did not vote in 2024. The electorate was more Democratic than in the previous two elections, CBS said.
Voters also expressed disapproval of several administration decisions. Most said Trump’s tariffs hurt the economy, his immigration policies went too far, and the decision to take military action against Iran was wrong.
The survey results describe voting patterns, but do not establish that economic concerns or any single issue caused the outcome. The polling combined interviews at voting locations with surveys conducted in the weeks before Election Day; the AP’s methodology details those approaches.