Polling shows Democrats can and must reclaim the mantle of reform or risk losing in 2026 
By focusing on fighting corruption and championing popular reforms like banning congressional stock trading, there is a clear path forward for closing the trust gap and winning back key voting blocs, the data shows

WASHINGTON, DC — This week, progressive anti-corruption watchdog group End Citizens United released a sweeping battleground poll with a stark warning for Democrats ahead of 2026. Voters in key frontline congressional districts overwhelmingly see Washington as broken—and view Democrats as more corrupt than Republicans, even as President Trump’s blatant corruption scandals dominate headlines. Despite these serious headwinds for Democrats, however, the End Citizens United survey points to a clear path forward for the minority party to win back voter trust heading into the midterms.

These findings were first detailed in an exclusive report by Rolling Stone: Voters See Dems as More Corrupt Than Republicans Despite Trump’s Grifting

According to the findings, Democrats are perceived as more corrupt than Republicans by a five-point margin—49% to 44%. Among Independent voters, the gap widens to eleven points. Voters also currently place more trust in Republicans on key issues like standing up to special interests, fighting government corruption, driving real change in Washington, and fixing a broken system. Perhaps most strikingly though, Donald Trump’s approval rating on corruption surpasses his overall approval by eight points—a notable and unexpected finding given a string of ongoing scandals and multiple self-enrichment schemes by the President and his family.

Since the party trusted to tackle corruption has historically held the advantage at the ballot box, these numbers present a serious warning sign for Democrats hoping to flip the House in 2026 and prevent two more years of a Republican governing trifecta in Washington.

The polling does, however, provide a path forward for Democrats. Data shows that Democrats can close—and even reverse—the trust gap by running on a bold anti-corruption agenda and championing popular reforms like banning congressional stock trading and closing lobbyist loopholes. In fact, when Democrats take the offensive against Republican corruption and lead with a strong reform message, the generic congressional ballot shifts decisively in their favor.

“I won’t sugarcoat it. Right now, voters trust Republicans more to tackle corruption and fix what’s broken in Washington,” said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United. “But the good news is we can still turn this around. By exposing how Republican corruption hurts everyday Americans and championing bold, popular policies like banning congressional stock trading and closing lobbyist loopholes, Democrats can win over independents and swing voters and defeat Republicans in direct head-to-head matchups. The path is clear: lead on reform and we win.”

Additional topline findings from the End Citizens United survey reveal that:

• 80% of voters say there are at least big problems in Washington that need fixing.
  

• 89% of voters believe taking on and reducing government corruption should be a somewhat or very big priority for Congress.
  

• 85% of voters have serious or very serious concerns with members of Congress trading stocks based on information not available to the public and making millions off their positions.
  

• When asked about specific anti-corruption reforms, 49% of voters said cracking down on self-enrichment—including banning members of Congress from trading stocks and barring anyone connected to the president, vice president, Supreme Court justices, or members of Congress from accepting gifts from foreign governments—should be a top priority.

The End Citizens United survey was conducted by Impact Research—a leading Democratic firm used by multiple presidential campaigns. The poll surveyed 1,000 likely 2026 general election voters in battleground House districts between June 26 and July 1, 2025, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. A full polling memo is available here.

End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller, a leading national authority on corruption reform, is available for interview to explain what these findings mean for Democrats’ 2026 prospects—and how the party can reclaim the advantage on corruption and accountability.

To request an interview, please contact: Kolby Lee (kolbylee@endcitizensunited.org)