It has been one week since the 2026 midterm election results rocked the nation, and political analysts across the country have spent the last week parsing through exit polling and election results, attempting to figure out all of the factors that converged to create a night of historic wins for the Democratic Party. But– was it really a victory for the Democrats? Or has the calculus of the average American simply shifted to make Democratic candidates the “lesser evil?” Let’s discuss.
Heading into the elections, pollsters gathered mountains of data on Americans’ perspectives on politicians, candidates, parties, and issues impacting our electorate. The polling on political parties consistently showed both Republicans and Democrats as being substantially underwater. According to analysis from Real Clear Polling, Democrats went into the elections with a net unfavourability of -15.6, barely outperforming Republicans who had a net unfavourability of -19. In addition, a whopping average of 63.7% of Americans surveyed reported feeling like America was on the “wrong track.”
Long story short: Americans are highly dissatisfied with American politics.
So, while the Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress by decisive margins, and even managed to flip 18 state legislative seats in a bright red state like Missouri, I hope that their leaders are taking those victories with a grain of salt. In my mind, this election wasn’t about choosing Democrats over Republicans. Independents are currently the single biggest voting bloc in the country, with 45% of Americans (a record high) now identifying as neither Democrat nor Republican, while each major party holds 27% of the electorate as members. My take? Independents simply voted for change.
What sort of change? I’m glad that you asked.
- Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the President’s war with Iran.
- An astounding 89% of Americans believe that there is widespread corruption in our government, with broad bipartisan agreement. Americans are begging for checks on our elected officials, and thus far, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
- As the wealth gap reached record highs en our K-shaped economy, 60% of Americans reported this year that they don’t have enough income to lead the life they want, with 27% struggling to pay monthly bills and 32% worrying daily about their personal debt and the cost of healthcare.
- A near-record high of 64% of Americans believe that it is the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that all Americans have access to healthcare, up 22 points in the last 12 years. Six in ten voters are worried about being able to afford healthcare, and now two-thirds of Americans support Medicare for All.
- More than 4 out of 5 Americans believe that housing affordability is a problem in the county where they live, and nearly 90% of voters want the government to make housing more affordable.
The list goes on and on. And so, my plea to all of our new and returning lawmakers is simple: Listen first. Then lead.
Before the legislative session starts, hold a town hall. Hear what your constituents actually want from you and from our government, and focus on that. Smart, empathetic people can disagree about how to best meet the needs of Americans and Missourians, and we should welcome robust, good-faith debates on how to solve the problems plaguing our nation and our state. But let’s start by agreeing to focus on the issues that really matter– housing, healthcare, education, and affordability. These are the issues that Americans care about the most, because they are the issues that impact our day-to-day lives.
To our legislators in Missouri: Please stop trying to relitigate the issue of abortion access. Two elections in a row mean that it’s a settled issue. (Also, can we talk about the fact that over $20M was spent on Amendment 3 in this cycle alone?! Think about the enormous dent that we could put in poverty in Missouri with twenty million dollars). Please stop trying to mess with the initiative petition process. It’s our right, and as we overwhelmingly told you with our votes on Amendments 4 & 6, we’re going to continue to protect it.
Please knock it off with the culture war stuff. I cringe to think about the amount of time that is going to be spent in the next legislative session talking about extending the restrictions on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for trans children in this state. As an anti-poverty organization, Empower Missouri doesn’t take positions on issues of abortion or gender-affirming care, but we DO object to the legislature wasting time on issues that have either already been settled by voters or impact a teeny-tiny number of Missourians when they SHOULD be spending that time making sure that every Missourian has good employment, affordable housing, adequate nutrition, and quality healthcare.
Salus populi suprema lex esto: The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law. Last week’s election was a strong endorsement of the state’s motto. There’s an opportunity for our leaders to do better. I hope that they rise to the challenge.
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