By Salma El-Sakka
Democrats are projected to retake control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 2020, according to ABC News voter polling analysis of the 2026 midterm elections. The shift comes amid widespread disapproval of President Donald Trump and deep voter anxiety over the economy.
Trump Disapproval Drives Democratic Gains
About six in ten Americans who voted in House races disapprove of Trump’s performance, including 53% who strongly disapprove — the highest strong-disapproval share for any president since 2008. Voters who strongly disapproved backed Democrats by an 89-percentage-point margin, while the two in ten who strongly approved supported Republicans by 96 points. Two-thirds of House voters said Trump has the wrong priorities and puts personal interests above the country’s, and those groups chose Democrats by 69 and 73 points respectively. Forty-three percent said their vote was to oppose Trump, versus 16% to support him, and 96% of opposition voters chose Democratic candidates.
Economic Pessimism Benefits Democrats
Three-quarters of House voters rated the national economy negatively, supporting Democrats by a 40-point margin. Among the roughly one-third who described the economy as poor, the Democratic advantage widened to 71 points. About seven in ten voters said the economic system favors the wealthy, backing Democrats by a 3-to-1 margin. More than twice as many voters said their family finances had worsened rather than improved over the past two years, and they largely supported Democrats. Eight in ten reported severe or moderate hardship from inflation, with most blaming Trump’s policies for higher prices.
Party Favorability and Independent Shift
Democrats held a slight favorability edge over Republicans, 47% to 41%. Among the 15% of voters unfavorable to both parties — “double haters” — Democrats led by 25 points. The party also expanded its advantage among voters under 30, winning roughly three-quarters of their votes compared with just over half in 2024. Independent voters, who split evenly in the previous two elections, backed Democrats 56% to 39% in House races.
