Corruption ranks high as 2026 midterms approach

Government corruption has become a prominent concern among voters ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, while the cost of living remains the leading voting issue, according to polling and campaign reporting. A Harris Poll conducted October 22-24 among 2,065 U.S. adults, including 1,481 likely midterm voters, found that 36% of voters named cost of living as the single most important issue in deciding how to vote. Corruption ranked second among a range of other issues, including immigration, housing costs, abortion, crime and safety, and artificial intelligence. The poll also found that 76% of voters said elected officials care more about enriching themselves than helping people like them. Nearly nine in 10 Americans surveyed considered government corruption a problem, under a definition that included officials putting their own or donors’ financial interests ahead of the public’s. Those results describe voters’ views, not proof of misconduct by particular officials. In the Harris Poll, 40% of voters said Republicans had a bigger corruption problem, while 21% named Democrats and 32% said both parties had the problem equally. Independents were more likely to identify...