Poll Shows Voters Prioritize Costs and Ending Iran War

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 25, 2026

A recent AP-NORC poll finds that a majority of registered voters from both parties prioritize lowering the cost of living and ending the war in Iran over partisan investigations or advancing Trump’s agenda ahead of the November election. These results indicate that voters want the next Congress to focus on economic and foreign policy issues rather than partisan conflicts.

A recent poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that voters across party lines are prioritizing affordability and ending the war in Iran over partisan political battles as the November 3 election approaches. The majority of registered voters, including both Republicans and Democrats, indicated that lowering the cost of living should be among the highest priorities for the next Congress.

Approximately 80% of respondents expressed concern about making life more affordable, while around 70% called for a focus on ending the conflict with Iran. In contrast, fewer voters emphasized other issues such as investigating the Trump administration or advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda. Only about 40% want the next Congress to prioritize investigations into the administration, and just 20% support making Trump’s agenda a top focus.

The poll also underscores divisions within both parties. Among Democrats, supporters of democratic socialism are more likely to advocate for rigorous investigations of the Trump administration and favor ending military aid to Israel, compared with other Democrats who tend to prioritize affordability and ending the Iran conflict. Democratic socialists also display less inclination toward seeking bipartisan compromises. Conversely, moderate Democrats favor finding common ground with Republicans and focusing on economic issues.

Republican voters largely align on priorities such as reducing living costs, ending the war with Iran, and lowering the federal budget deficit. However, support for advancing Trump’s agenda divides the party. About 60% of Republicans identifying as “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) supporters want Congress to prioritize the president’s policies, while only about 20% of Republicans outside the MAGA movement express the same view.

Individual voters reflect these broader trends. Justin Campbell, a 31-year-old democratic socialist and Democrat from Brookhaven, Mississippi, emphasized the importance of government policies that assist average Americans rather than the wealthy. “I’m not a millionaire and probably won’t ever be,” he said. “I prefer policy that helps me instead of someone I’ll never be.” Meanwhile, Arthur Brown, a 71-year-old Democrat from Magee, Mississippi, expressed a preference for economic improvement over investigations: “They should just focus on… trying to tackle these problems.”

On the Republican side, Richard Longo, 74, of Lake Forest, California, said budget discipline and economic issues must come first, even as he supports advancing the president’s agenda. Lisa Ostlund, a 46-year-old MAGA supporter from Wayland, Massachusetts, praised Trump’s policies for helping her out of homelessness but said, “He definitely doesn’t say it right, but you do have to put [American people] first.”

The survey of 1,119 adults was conducted Oct. 8-12 using NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to reflect the U.S. population. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. As Congress prepares for the new term, these results suggest voters are seeking legislative focus on pressing economic concerns and foreign policy, rather than continuing emphasis on partisan disputes centered around the Trump administration.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.