Last month, Navigator conducted statewide surveys in Alaska, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas – four battleground states that are receiving an outsized amount of attention ahead of the midterms – to better understand how people view their leaders and the issues most important to them. Throughout September, Navigator will release reports on each of these states to delve deeper into how Alaskans, Iowans, Ohioans, and Texans think and feel.

Americans in the Battleground Want Leaders to Align With Their Values

Nearly three-quarters of battleground constituents say they would rather “a candidate who most aligns with your values regardless of party” (74%) rather than “a candidate who is part of the political party you want to control the U.S. Congress” (24%).

Across the board, named Republican lawmakers (Alaska – Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Iowa – Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Ohio – Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), and Texas – Attorney General Ken Paxton (R)) are not seen as sharing the values of their constituents. 49% across all four states say the phrase “shares my values” does not describe these lawmakers well, including 41% who say it doesn’t describe them well at all. A majority (51%) also say the phrase “lowering costs for working families” does not describe these lawmakers well, including 42% who say it does not describe them well at all.

President Trump and Lawmakers in Both Parties are Underwater

Across all four states, all of which Trump won by double-digits in 2024, the president has a net approval of -14 (43% approve – 57% disapprove). In Navigator’s latest national survey, Trump had a net approval of -21 (39% approve – 60% disapprove). Trump is also underwater in these battleground states on his handling of the economy and the Iran war. In these four states, Trump has a net -15 approval on his handling of the economy (42% approve – 57% disapprove) and a net -22 approval on his handling of the Iran war (38% approve – 60% disapprove).

Trump is not the only unpopular lawmaker. Democrats in Congress have a net favorability of -34 (31% favorable – 65% unfavorable) and Republicans in Congress have a net favorability of -23 (37% favorable – 60% unfavorable).

Battleground Constituents Blame Republican Lawmakers and Their Policies for a Dismal Economy

More than two-thirds of Americans in the battleground view the economy negatively (31% positive – 68% negative), including 36% who view it poorly. Independents are even more down on the economy: 83% view it negatively and only 15% view it positively. A majority (52%) say the current economic system in America needs major changes. 

Half (50%) say Republicans in Congress have focused on policies that have made life less affordable. Only 25% say they’ve focused on policies that have made life more affordable. When asked who they blame for rising costs, a plurality of battleground constituents (48%) say Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress compared to 37% who say Democrats in Congress. Independents are more likely to blame Republicans for rising costs (54%), however they’re twice as likely as battleground constituents overall to say they don’t know (15% overall – 31% independents).

Similarly, 51% say that they don’t believe the phrase “lowering costs for working families” describes the named Republican lawmakers well, including 42% who say not well at all.

Battleground Constituents Want Their Leaders to Prioritize the Economy and Healthcare, Issues They See Democrats Focused On

The top five issues people in the battleground want their leaders in Washington to prioritize are:

• inflation and the cost of living (48%)
• corruption in government (47%)
• jobs and the economy (36%)
• healthcare (34%)
• government spending and debt (32%)

This is largely consistent with findings from Navigator’s latest national survey. These priorities are largely consistent across states. One of the key differences is in Texas where immigration is the fourth-most prioritized issue (34%).

Battleground constituents see Democrats more focused on their top priorities than Trump and Republicans in Congress. 22% see Democrats focused on inflation and the cost of living compared to 11% who say the same about Trump and Republicans. Similarly, 26% see Democrats focused on healthcare compared to just 2% who say the same about Trump and Republicans.

Battleground constituents see Trump and Republicans in Congress more focused on immigration (59%) and foreign conflicts (40%). Similarly, they also see Democrats focused on things like transgender issues (35%) and climate change and the environment (34%). 

Democrats are More Trusted, or Nearly Just as Trusted, on the Issues Battleground Constituents Care Most About, But Many Don’t Trust Either Party

Battleground constituents trust Democrats more on healthcare (43% Democrats – 31% Republicans), and healthcare costs (44% Democrats – 31% Republicans).

On issues of the economy and corruption battleground constituents are nearly split on who to trust. Democrats and Republicans are nearly just as trusted on lowering costs (36% Democrats – 38% Republicans) with 24% saying they trust neither party on the issue. On corruption, battleground constituents are nearly evenly divided (32% Democrats – 35% Republicans), but a substantial group (32%) don’t trust either party. These close results are similar to those in Navigator’s latest national survey.

Stay tuned for more reports in our Expanding the Battleground series! Next week we’ll go deeper in our state-by-state data and will bring you reports on Texas and Iowa.