The state of the political parties

It’s far too early to know which party is “winning” or “losing” in the race to control Congress in 2026.

However, even this far out from the 2026 Midterms, the political landscape that we’ll see next November is beginning to take shape.

Where do the Republican and Democratic Parties stand in the eyes of the public? Below are five charts on how Americans feel about the Republican and Democratic parties.

1. What issues do partisans care about? The issue landscape varies widely along partisanship. Democrats have remarkable consistency in their concern over “political extremism and threats to democracy.” Republicans, on the other hand, are much less united, with concern about equally divided between the economy, extremism, and immigration.

2. Key issues favor Republicans. The economy and immigration both favor Republicans by a clear margin. And even though “political extremism and threats to democracy” isn’t a runaway advantage for Republicans, it’s notable that it isn’t an advantage for Democrats.

3. Too liberal or too conservative? There isn’t a high level of satisfaction with either party’s ideological positions among the public as a whole. That said, Republicans have a slight advantage here, with slightly more Americans feeling that the Republican Party’s views are “just right.” This is also partly driven by Democrats themselves, who are more divided than Republicans on the views of their party.

4. Executive power. Executive power has been a major point of contention among Americans in President Trump’s second term, with a majority feeling Trump has exceeded his presidential authority. This is the silver lining for Democrats, with a bare majority saying they would prefer the next Congress to be controlled by Democrats, even if it’s to act as a “check on Trump” rather than an endorsement of Democrats.

5. Outsiders. “System is broken” sentiment remains a mainstay of American public opinion. Even across the political spectrum, a majority of Americans remain dissatisfied with what “traditional parties” can do for them. Whichever party can best position themselves as “outsiders” stands to gain.

Democrats are in a precarious position. The party performs worse than Republicans on key issues and their base is somewhat ideologically split. Their silver lining is the fact that they are united in their concern over extremism, the state of Democracy, and the desire for a “check on Trump.” However, this isn’t necessarily a runaway advantage for Democrats.

Republicans, on the other hand, have a base that is more ideologically united and have the advantage on the issues Americans care most about. One potential weakness, however, is a lack of a rallying issue. Particularly in lower turnout elections, voters with strong convictions on specific issues can have an outsized impact compared to larger turnout elections. Republicans’ success will hinge on how well they can convince the lower-turnout voters they relied on in 2024 to turn out again in 2026.

One common thread between Republicans and Democrats is that their appetite for non-traditional parties and politicians to fix a “broken system” has yet to be fully satiated. Expect the outsider to remain become the norm.