January 1, Voters Eye 2028 With Economy at the Forefront

Wyatt’s Take

• Voters are clear that kitchen-table issues like grocery prices and gas costs matter more than Washington games.
• Republicans want the next president to keep Trump’s policies, while Democrats push for radical change.
• The economy remains the top concern for working families trying to stay ahead.

After the midterm elections, attention will turn to the 2028 race for the White House. What is on voters’ minds as they look ahead to the next presidential election?

Most Republicans want the next president to follow President Donald Trump’s policies, if not his style. Nearly 4 in 10 MAGA Republicans want Trump’s successor to emulate both, and about half want the next president to follow his policies alone. Non-MAGA Republicans are less enthusiastic: 45% want his policies to continue, but only about 15% of non-MAGA Republicans want a president with the same style.

Independents prefer something entirely different: 6 in 10 want the next president to break with both Trump’s policies and his style. Likewise, few Democrats want to see either his style or his policies repeated.

Even as the Democrats have won control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and Trump finds his approval rating at 39%, a bloc of voters remains loyal to the president and is likely to influence the 2028 campaign. While half of voters want a successor who does not emulate his style or follow his policies, 26% want a president who will carry on his policies, and another 12% want the next president to copy his policies and his style.

Looking ahead, voters across party lines say improving economic conditions is the most important issue for the country to address over the next five years. Six in 10 voters feel they are holding steady financially while about 3 in 10 feel they are falling behind. Few, about 1 in 10 voters, feel they are getting ahead financially. Voters who describe their own financial situation as less than satisfactory, or say they are falling behind, are more likely to name the economy as the top issue.

What should Tuesday’s winners prioritize once sworn into office? When asked what is most important for newly elected officials to work on first in 2027, 3 in 10 voters want elected officials to address grocery costs. About 2 in 10 want action on gas prices, and a similar share say they should work on healthcare and prescription drug costs.

Slightly fewer are concerned about housing costs, while about 1 in 10 want officials to address electricity and other utility costs.

Voters are closely divided on whether the country can look forward to better days or if the good days are behind us. And it’s linked to how they’re feeling financially. About two-thirds of those who say they are getting ahead financially are optimistic about the future. However, about two-thirds of voters who are falling behind financially think the country’s best days are in the past.

Beyond the economy, priorities diverge. About 1 in 5 Democrats point to access to affordable healthcare, while about a similar share of Republicans say protecting individuals from government overreach is the top issue. About 1 in 10 independents say the country should address the affordability of healthcare, and about the same share say government overreach.

Voters are divided over AI’s effect on the U.S. economy during the next 10 years. About 4 in 10 say it will be harmful, while 3 in 10 expect benefits. About 1 in 10 expect AI to make no difference, while slightly more, about 2 in 10, are unsure. About 4 in 10 expect AI to negatively affect the environment and the arts and entertainment industry.

About half of voters want substantial changes in how the country is run. Party identification shapes how much change voters want and which branches of government they think most need reform. Democrats are about three times as likely as Republicans to want complete upheaval of how the country is run. Half of democratic socialists favor complete and total upheaval, compared with about 1 in 10 MAGA Republicans.

In the 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis conducted for the presidential election, most Republican voters said they wanted substantial change or total upheaval. Now, with a Republican in the White House and their party controlling both houses of Congress, they are less eager for major change.

Overall, 4 in 10 voters think Congress should be substantially reformed, including three-quarters of MAGA Republicans and half of non-MAGA Republicans. Democrats are less likely to say Congress needs reform, but half say the executive branch should be improved. Few voters in either party want changes to the Constitution. Democrats are more likely than Republicans or independents to say the Supreme Court needs reform.

Voters across party lines support term limits for Congress and Supreme Court justices. Democrats favor abolishing the Electoral College, but Republicans and independents are less enthusiastic. Most Republicans support limiting mail voting to people physically unable to vote in person. MAGA Republicans are more supportive of limiting mail voting than non-MAGA Republicans (63% vs 40%). Democrats oppose the idea, regardless of whether they support the Democratic Socialists of America.

The expansion of artificial intelligence has triggered some public backlash against AI data centers. Voters are divided on whether AI will help or hurt during the next 10 years. More Democrats say the technology will be harmful while more Republicans expect benefits.

Among Republican voters, MAGA Republicans are more enthusiastic about AI than non-MAGA Republicans. Forty-five percent of MAGA Republicans believe AI will help the U.S. to compete with other countries, and another 4 in 10 feel AI will do more to help the economy.

Among Democrat voters, supporters of democratic socialism and those who do not support the movement are similarly likely to feel AI will help aspects of American society. However, supporters of democratic socialism are more likely than other Democrats to feel AI will do more to hurt than help.

Overall, 6 in 10 voters are extremely or very concerned about the effect of data centers on the price of utilities in the communities where they are being built. About half are concerned about the effect of data centers on pollution of natural resources, land development or the health of the local population, regardless of whether they live near a data center. Democrats are more concerned about the effects of data centers than Republican voters, again, regardless of their proximity to the facilities.

Voters across party lines support requiring companies to pay for electric grid upgrades needed for their data centers, increasing government regulation of AI, and limiting AI in schools. Most Democrats and independents oppose building a data center in their community. Most voters also oppose local construction, whether their county already has a data center.

The economy is a top issue for most voters, yet 4 in 10 say they could support a candidate whose economic views differ from their own.

After the economy and jobs, nearly 6 in 10 voters see healthcare as an important issue, and about 6 in 10 would not support a candidate who disagrees with them on healthcare policy. About half could not back a candidate whose views on Israel and the Palestinians differ from theirs. Overall, about 6 in 10 say they could never support a candidate they disagree with on abortion, guns, or immigration.

Wyatt Matters

Middle America knows that strong families and sound finances are the foundation of a strong country, and voters are sending a clear message that real relief on everyday costs comes first.