U.S. voters ages 50 and up are now trending Republican, less than a year ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new poll.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey, released Thursday, found that 46 percent of registered voters 50 and above say they support GOP candidates, while 38 percent prefer Democratic candidates. In 2022, the gap was 43-42, and in 2018, it was 40-38 in favor of Democrats.
Meanwhile, 42 percent of registered voters ages 18-49 support Democratic candidates, while 31 percent support Republicans. That margin has slimmed since 2022, when 48 percent of voters in the age group backed Democrats and 30 percent sided with the GOP.
In the wake of recent victories in key elections this year — including the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and the mayoral races in New York City and Miami, Democrats have expressed optimism about 2026 — particularly if their messaging about cost-of-living is able to break through again.
But older voters tend to turn out more frequently in midterm elections, with 64 percent of the electorate in 2022 comprised of voters ages 50 and older, according to the Pew Research Center. Seven in 10 GOP voters were older than 50, while 58 percent of Democratic voters were in that category.
Republicans hold a 220-213 edge in the House and a 53-47 advantage in the Senate. Democrats need to flip three House seats and four Senate seats to gain control of each chamber.
In the latest poll, 38 percent of voters ages 50 and up viewed cost of living as their primary concern. Another 27 percent said democratic values, 19 percent saying immigration and 7 percent saying crime.
Just over half of respondents ages 18-49, on the other hand, said cost of living is the most important factor in determining how they will vote. Just over 20 percent named democratic values, while 12 percent said immigration and 5 percent said crime.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey was conducted from Dec. 3-8 via online interviews with 3,521 registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.