We posed one open-ended question to 3,371 U.S. adults across two waves of our May and June 2026 Compass Poll: what kind of person do you want running for president in 2028? The responses point consistently toward character over policy. Honesty and integrity are the most-cited traits in both waves, appearing in roughly one in four responses. The qualities voters reach for when describing 2028 may be the same ones they are applying to candidates on the ballot this fall.
Honesty Is the Floor
“Honesty and Integrity” leads all trait categories in both survey waves, holding steady across party lines, age groups, and racial groups. No other single trait comes close to that level of consistent citation.
The word “honesty” appears in open-ended responses across partisan lines, but the demand behind it varies considerably depending on who is using it. For some voters it is about accountability, for others it is about moral courage, and for others it is about following through on commitments made to the people who elected you. A few responses illustrate the range:
“One who has the courage to tell the truth and do the right thing even if it isn’t popular.” Hispanic/Latino Man, 65+, Democrat
“Honest, transparent, educated, keeping their word, non corrupt, Steadfast.” White Man, 50 to 64, Republican
“Honesty First, knows what the MIDDLE Class is going through and try to fix it.” White Man, 18 to 34, Independent
“Integrity, sensitivity to all citizens, border-economy-racial fairness-and a loving but firm nature when needed.” Black Woman, 65+, Democrat
The word is shared. The demand underneath it is not identical. Voters are asking for different versions of honesty, shaped in large part by what they feel has been lacking.
The Character Voters Are Looking For
The deeper story in this data is about which character virtues voters reach for first.
Among Republican respondents, Conservative values led all categories by a wide margin in both waves. The open-ended responses behind that number are, in large part, a character list: strength, backbone, fearlessness, follow-through. Republican voters are describing a type of person they believe the current moment requires, not only an ideological alignment.
“A person with morals and values, has a backbone and will not back down, fulfills their campaign promises, cuts wasteful spending, makes our country safer and more prosperous.” White Man, 18 to 34, Republican
“We need an honest, centered, moderate, sane and stable individual in the oval office. We need somebody who’s not afraid and who isn’t dirty so they can pull the carpet out from under all of these filthy politicians and we can get back to the business of being a decent and upstanding country again.” White Woman, 50 to 64, Republican
“Someone who knows what it’s like to be a regular citizen. Someone who wants to keep this country the greatest country ever.” White Woman, 35 to 49, Republican
“Integrity, truth, courage, silence… real power is not a show, it’s quiet understanding.” White Woman, 35 to 49, Republican
Among Democratic respondents, Empathy/Cares About People and Honesty/Integrity are both cited at 30 to 32% in both waves, the two highest categories by a wide margin. Democratic voters are centered on recognition and care.
“Someone who cares about all people in the US. Someone who can unite Americans and not divide them. Someone who can bring out the best in people and not the worst.” White Man, 50 to 64, Democrat
“A person that would bring class and dignity back to the White House. Someone that could unite the country.” Black Man, 50 to 64, Democrat
“A working-class champion who believes that everyday people, the 99%, deserve a good life, and will fight alongside us for it.” White Woman, 18 to 34, Democrat
“Authentic. Has lived experience. Understands what people are going through and is committed to serving people.” Hispanic/Latino Woman, 18 to 34, Democrat
Republicans emphasize resolve and follow-through; Democrats emphasize empathy and recognition. The underlying demand, that the person in office be genuinely accountable to the people they serve, runs through both.
The Anti-Corruption Signal Is Rising
Responses calling for a candidate free from corporate and special interest influence grew meaningfully between May and June. Among Independents, this was one of the more commonly cited traits in both waves. Among voters 18 to 34, it was the highest of any age group in June.
The ask here is structural rather than ideological. Voters in this cluster want someone who they believe will not be captured, and many are specific about what capture looks like.
“Someone immune to political corruption and stands for we the people!” White Woman, 50 to 64, Independent
“Average Joe that doesn’t have a rich upbringing. Someone who doesn’t play the politics game and is incorruptible.” White Woman, 35 to 49, Independent, Republican-leaning
“A uniting force that stops the division. Focuses on weeding out legitimate corruption, and whose actions match their words.” Hispanic/Latino Man, 18 to 34, Independent
“Anti-Establishment, publicly funded, America-First (not MAGA). Has a backbone. Not Epstein-elite class. Does not abuse public office for private gain.” Hispanic/Latino Man, 18 to 34, Independent, Democrat-leaning
“An independent or third party candidate with common sense, not beholden to either of the two main parties.” White Man, 35 to 49, Independent
These responses come from different parts of the political map and share a consistent diagnosis: the existing system is captured, and the solution is a candidate who exists outside it. This segment is growing, and it concentrates among the independent voters most likely to decide close races.
Younger Voters: Economy, Foreign Policy, and Authenticity
Voters 18 to 34 look meaningfully different from those 50 and older on several dimensions. Economy, jobs, and cost of living are cited at roughly twice the rate of older voters in both waves. Healthcare and education follow a similar pattern.
Foreign policy and concerns about war produce the sharpest generational gap in the dataset, cited at several times the rate of those 50 and older.
“Kindness and sincerity, the ability to negotiate and be diplomatic, and not start wars with other countries while sounding like a lunatic cultist.” White Man, 18 to 34, Independent
“Budget balancer that brings America out of a wartime economy.” White Man, 18 to 34, Independent, Democrat-leaning
Across both parties, younger voters also place particular weight on authenticity. Their ask is not simply for good policy positions; it is for someone who is “blue collar” or an “every day person.”
“An actual blue collar worker, someone from the middle class that actually knows what’s going on with the world and has lived the life of working for everything you have. Not paid off Democrats and Republicans. They’re in it for themselves.” White Man, 35 to 49, Republican, 2024 Trump voter
“America needs a hero. Someone with moral clarity and that is honorable to what they say. We don’t need lifelong politicians and we definitely don’t need another actor or businessman. We need a blue collar worker with records of integrity.” White Man, 35 to 49, Democrat
“They would be someone who knows what it’s like to be an every day person and actually struggle to make ends meet.” White Woman, 18 to 34, Democrat
Black Voters: Empathy as a Leading Priority
Among Black respondents, Empathy/Cares About People rose between waves to the highest rate of any group in the survey. Strong Leadership climbed as well, reaching roughly twice the rate cited by White respondents in June.
The open-ended responses from Black voters return consistently to themes of recognition, equal representation, and a president who governs for the full country.
“Truthful leader. Respectful leader. Forward thinking leader. Respect for law/order. Ready to be president for ALL Americans.” Black Man, 65+
“Articulate. Fair. President for all. United. Cares about peace across the United States. Humble. Caring. Selfless.” Black Woman, 50 to 64, Democrat
“A person that would bring class and dignity back to the White House. Someone that could unite the country. So we’re not back to arguing, and who shows that they are truly there for the people.” Black Man, 50 to 64, Democrat
“Focuses on issues that affect low to middle class. Empathy and professionalism.” Black Man, 35 to 49, Democrat
What the 2026 Cycle Should Take From This
The traits voters describe for their ideal 2028 president may be the same criteria they will apply to Senate, House, and gubernatorial candidates this fall.
A few patterns stand out.
The working-class demand is cross-partisan. It appears in Republican, Democratic, and Independent responses, often in nearly identical terms. Candidates on either side who can credibly speak to that frame have a genuine audience across the electorate.
“Some one who hears the minimum wage people that live paycheck to paycheck.” White Woman, 50 to 64, Republican
“Someone who truly cares about American citizens and the struggles the non-elite face every single day.” Hispanic/Latino Woman, 50 to 64, Democrat
“Be for the people and help all Americans be able to pay their rent and buy a home.” Hispanic/Latino Woman, 35 to 49, Independent
The anti-corruption frame is growing among the most persuadable voters. Growing but still a secondary share overall, it is concentrated among Independents and voters under 35. Candidates who can occupy that space credibly in 2026 are building toward something beyond the midterm cycle.
Honesty remains core. Roughly one in four respondents cite honesty, stable across both waves and every demographic group. It does not win races on its own, but the responses throughout this data suggest that candidates who fail the test face a significant recovery challenge.
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Change Research conducted two waves of national surveys of U.S. adults as part of the Compass Poll. Wave 1 (May): n=1,871, conducted May 5-10, 2026. Wave 2 (June): n=1,500, conducted June 10-17, 2026. Open-ended responses to “How would you describe your ideal candidate for president in 2028? What kind of traits would that person have?” were coded into 15 thematic categories with multi-coding applied. Findings are directional and reflect unweighted distributions.