Democrats have erased the Republican Party's advantage on immigration, while opening double-digit leads on healthcare, inflation and the cost of living less than three weeks before the midterm elections, a new poll shows.
The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey, conducted October 9-13, found that Americans trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle 11 of 12 major issues tested, while the GOP retained a five-point advantage on crime.
Democrats are two points ahead on immigration, an issue that has traditionally been a strength for Republicans, while their largest advantage was on healthcare, where they led Republicans by 23 percentage points. The Democrats also held 14-point leads on education and schools, the cost of living, and inflation.
The party's advantage extended to foreign policy. Democrats led by 11 points on handling the situation with Iran and by seven points on the conflict between Israel and Gaza. They also held nine-point leads on the economy, transgender issues and reducing government corruption, and a seven-point lead on taxes.
The results come as Americans express growing concern about gasoline prices and the economy. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to just 33 percent, according to poll, with many Americans voicing dissatisfaction over his handling of the conflict in Iran.
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Economy and Gas Prices Loom Over Midterms
Economic concerns provide important context for the Democrats' growing advantage on several domestic issues.
The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll shows Democrats led Republicans by 14 points on both inflation and the cost of living. Their nine-point advantage on the economy was the widest recorded on that issue in the poll series since 2022.
Other recent surveys have also documented mounting public anxiety about prices.
A Pew Research Center survey of 5,062 U.S. adults, conducted September 28-October 4, found that 74 percent were very concerned about gasoline and energy prices, up from 43 percent in January, before the U.S. military conflict with Iran. Seventy-three percent were very concerned about food and consumer-goods prices, while 69 percent expressed the same concern about healthcare costs.
The latest ABC News poll found that 71 percent of Americans considered gasoline unaffordable, compared with just 28 percent in February. The concerns come as the national average price of gasoline had exceeded $4 per gallon for a record 158 days during 2026.
The figures come as higher energy costs add pressure to household budgets, affecting not only drivers but also businesses and the prices of goods transported across the country.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey published October 9 found that 78 percent of Americans blamed Trump's policies for rising living costs, including majorities of both Democrats and Republicans. The poll also found widespread dissatisfaction with the administration's handling of the economy.
The findings do not establish that a single policy or event accounts for public dissatisfaction. They do, however, show that affordability has become a prominent concern across party lines.
Iran Adds to Economic and Foreign Policy Concerns
The conflict with Iran is another important element in the current polling environment, particularly as higher energy prices have become a concern for households.
The October ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey gave Democrats an 11-point advantage over Republicans on handling Iran. Separately, the poll found that only 27 percent approved of Trump's handling of the situation, while 70 percent disapproved.
A majority of Americans also said the decision to use military force against Iran was a mistake, according to the survey.
The figures suggest that public confidence in the administration's handling of the conflict is low, while Democrats have gained an advantage on an issue that combines national security and economic concerns.
The political implications remain uncertain. Foreign policy assessments can change as events develop, and trust in a party's handling of an issue does not necessarily translate directly into votes.
Immigration Advantage Narrows
The latest survey marks a notable change from previous polling in which Republicans enjoyed a significant advantage on immigration.
In November 2023, Republicans held a 12-point lead on the issue but by May this year, another ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll show that lead had dwindled to a five-point advantage.
By October, the new poll shows that Republicans had lost the advantage entirely, with Democrats pulling ahead into a 2-point lead.
A September Marist poll also pointed to a change in public perceptions. It found that 41 percent of registered voters trusted Democrats to handle immigration better, compared with 38 percent who chose Republicans. In 2024, the equivalent figures in Marist polling were 30 percent for Democrats and 42 percent for Republicans.
The erosion of the GOP’s advantage on immigration comes amid growing scrutiny of the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation drive, including high-profile shootings involving federal immigration officers that have intensified debate over the tactics used to enforce immigration laws. A February ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 62 percent of Americans opposed ICE’s enforcement tactics following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Another 58 percent believed Trump's deportation campaign had gone too far.
Trump Approval and the Midterm Vote
Democrats have taken the lead of most of the key issues as the latest poll shows the party leading Republicans by eight percentage points in congressional vote preference among likely voters.
The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey showed 52 percent supporting Democratic candidates and 44 percent backing Republicans.
Control of the House depends on the outcomes of individual races across the country, but the poll is a useful indicator ahead of the midterms.
In 2022, an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found registered voters nearly evenly divided between the parties, before Republicans won control of the House in that year's midterms. A similar poll in fall 2018 showed Democrats with an 11-point lead among registered voters, and the party went on to win the House that November.
The latest poll also showed Trump's approval had fallen to a low of just 33 percent, as two thirds of Americans disapprove of the way he is handling his presidency.
A separate Fox News poll conducted October 9-12 put Trump's approval rating at 36 percent, with 64 percent disapproving. The survey also found that 54 percent of respondents would support the Democratic candidate in a House election if voting were held at the time, compared with 45 percent who would support the Republican.
The surveys differ in their methodologies and samples, but both recorded more support for Democratic congressional candidates than for Republican candidates.