Voters have labeled Democrats as “out of touch” and “weak” in the latest troubling poll ahead of the 2026 midterms.
More than seven months after former Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 election loss to President Donald Trump, Democrats have had time to reflect on where they went wrong.
One criticism that circulated in the wake of the presidential election was that Democrats had shifted their focus away from the working class, a segment of the population to which Trump had appealed.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said in a biting statement, “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.”
As Democrats have taken up more social issues in recent years such as transgender rights and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, people from both sides of the aisle have accused the party of being too woke.
And voters in a new poll conducted by the Democratic super PAC Unite the Country seem to agree, calling Democrats “woke,” as well as “out of touch” and “weak,” The Hill, which obtained the data, reported Friday.
Trump has repeatedly called former President Joe Biden “weak” while trying to promote strength. Biden, now 82, dropped out of the 2024 election following concerns about his physical and mental fitness.
The new poll isn’t the first time voters have taken this view of the Democratic Party.
Politico reported in December 2024, citing research by the progressive group Navigator Research, voters who previously supported Democrats described the party as weak and too focused on diversity and the small group of elites in this country.
Unite the Country’s poll, which was conducted between May and June, also found enthusiasm within the party has continued to weaken after the 2024 election.
Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau, a senior adviser to the super PAC, told The Hill, “This is the reality of the perception of us as a party, and until we accept that, it’s going to be hard to move forward.”
Whether or not the Democrats can shift voter perception will be seen in the 2026 midterm elections.
There will be 35 Senate seats up for election, including 22 currently held by Republicans. If they are able to gain four seats, Democrats can take control of the upper chamber. All House seats will also be up for election in 2026. Republicans currently control the House 220-212.
