Voters Think Parties Ignore People Like Them

A national poll of 1,549 registered voters (Oct. 21–23, 2026) finds Democrats lead the generic ballot by 9 points (11 among likely voters) and that only 24% say Democratic leaders listen to “people like me” (17% for Republicans). When asked who party leaders listen to, voters name Trump and wealthy donors for Republicans and lobbyists/interest groups for Democrats. — If most voters feel neither party listens to ordinary people, that fuels anti‑establishment messaging, depresses turnout for some groups, and shapes campaign strategies and legitimacy narratives for both parties.