Voters Who Hate Both Parties Are Leaning Democrat This Election

A new poll released this week shows that voters who dislike both major political parties are leaning toward Democrats ahead of this fall's midterm elections. The poll, from two groups called Verasight and Strength in Numbers, found that Democrats hold a 26-point lead among these so-called "double haters." Midterm elections are held in November, and they will decide who controls Congress — the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Historically, the party that holds the White House tends to lose seats in the midterms. Many people see midterms as a way to send a message to the president. Because President Donald Trump's approval ratings have been falling, Democrats are hoping they can win enough seats to take control of Congress.

The poll found that 55 percent of "double hater" voters plan to vote Democratic in the midterms. Just 29 percent said they would vote Republican, and 16 percent were either undecided or planned to vote for someone else. Among this same group, 40 percent said they had voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, while 29 percent said they had voted for Trump.

Experts say these voters are not suddenly becoming big fans of Democrats — instead, they are reacting against Republicans, who currently run the government. Todd Belt, a professor at George Washington University, said people who dislike both parties are usually unhappy with the economy and think the government is not working well. "When that is the case, it is to the benefit of the party out of power," he said.

Lindsey Cormack, a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, agreed that Democrats benefit mainly because they cannot be blamed for current problems. "They just aren't the ones who can be blamed for how the world is right now because they aren't turning any levers," she said. In other words, since Democrats don't control the government right now, voters don't hold them responsible for what's going wrong.

So who exactly are "double haters"? Experts say they are not always moderate, middle-of-the-road voters — many are people who feel like neither party truly represents them. They often care more about everyday problems, like housing costs, health care, or getting their kids to school, than big political ideas. Cormack said these voters are "seeking stability out of chaos" rather than picking a party based on its political beliefs.

These voters may also be less likely to follow traditional news sources and can be harder for campaigns to reach. Many of them don't vote at all, especially in midterm elections, which have lower turnout than presidential elections. Still, experts say they can make a big difference in very close races, and Belt called them a "canary in the coal mine" — a warning sign of the frustration that many other voters feel too.

Other polls also show Democrats gaining support among voters who don't strongly favor either party. A poll from Data for Progress found swing voters leaning Democrat, even though they still view Republicans slightly more favorably overall. Two other polls — one from YouGov and one from Quantus Insights — both found Democrats leading among independent voters by several percentage points.

Trump himself is a major factor in the midterms, with his approval rating low across multiple surveys. One poll found only 37 percent of Americans approve of him, while 59 percent disapprove. Democrats plan to focus their campaigns on the economy and inflation, arguing that Trump and Republicans have not solved those problems, while Republicans will try to fire up their supporters and appeal to moderate voters.

When it comes to the House of Representatives, Democrats appear to have a strong chance of winning back control. Political prediction markets — websites where people place bets on election outcomes — gave Democrats roughly an 82 to 84 percent chance of flipping the House. The Senate is much tougher: Republicans hold a 53-to-47 advantage, Democrats need to flip four seats, and prediction markets gave Republicans about a 55 percent chance of keeping their majority.