A Change Research national survey of 1,330 likely general election voters, conducted May 5 through 7, 2026, finds that just 15% of likely 2026 voters say they trust the Democratic Party and feel it represents their interests. Nearly 6 in 10 likely voters (58%) say they will not vote for a candidate they don’t trust, regardless of where that candidate stands on the issues.
The Trust Gap
The survey segments likely voters into five groups. Loyalists, the 15% who trust the party and feel it represents their interests, are the smallest group. Skeptics make up 25%, generally agreeing with the party’s positions but not trusting its leaders to deliver. Another 22% have drifted away from the party over time, and 30% say they have never felt close to the Democratic Party.
Trust to Handle Top Issues
The economy, cost of living, and child welfare rank as the issues most likely to guide voter decisions this fall. But Democrats are underwater when it comes to voters trusting them to handle these issues, and the Democratic Party must figure out how to build or establish trust with voters when it comes to the problems they care most about.
What the Data Says We Can Do To Build Trust
On July 15 at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT, the Plus or Minus briefing series takes on The Trust Playbook. Principal Researcher Courtney Kronenberg, Strategic Accounts Lead Flora Mendoza, and Committee on States Executive Director Daniel Ramos walk through new data on what drives voter trust, which messengers, frames, and issues move the needle, and what campaigns and organizations can do right now to close the trust gap.