Government corruption is now the issue voters name most often, ahead of grocery and gas prices, according to the final CNBC All-America Economic Survey before the Nov. 3 midterm election 1. In the poll, 36% of respondents called it one of the most important issues facing the country. Food and grocery costs came second at 34% 1.
Protecting democracy and the price of gas each drew 23% 1. The survey questioned 1,000 registered voters from Oct. 14 to 18. Its margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points 1.
One caution: the question lists several cost-related topics separately. That may split an issue that could otherwise rank higher if the topics were combined 1.
Other polls point the same way
A Fox News poll published last week found 60% of registered voters are extremely concerned about government corruption, more than say so about inflation 1. Gallup recently found perceptions of corruption at multi-decade highs 1.
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A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released Sunday found roughly two-thirds of Americans think Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself 12. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, that share is now 34%, up from 22% in September 2025 2. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, it is 92% 2.
The White House did not respond to the Post's request for comment. Trump has said gains in a summer financial disclosure reflected an improved stock market 2.
What Democrats are saying
Democrats have spent months linking everyday costs to what they allege is corruption by Trump and his allies 1. Their pitch sets families' struggles against the president's rising net worth, his family's business dealings and his pricey construction projects 1.
Corruption is why things don't work for ordinary people.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Americans have spent more than $100 billion extra on gas because Trump chose to go to war with Iran 1. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told the Post that Trump's most hardened supporters are having doubts 2.
Trump's answer
Republicans are also running on the issue. The administration has set up a task force led by Vice President JD Vance to crack down on fraud 1.
from day one of my administration, we've waged an unprecedented war on corruption and fraud
Who voters trust, and what they oppose
Voters gave Democrats only a narrow edge on handling corruption, 35% to 31% 1. Among voters who call corruption their top issue, the gap grows to 17 points for Democrats 1. Independents favored Democrats by 15 points, yet 41% of them think neither party would do a good job 1.
The Post poll also found about 4 in 10 respondents say neither party can be trusted to reduce corruption 2.
Some ideas drew near-unanimous support. In the CNBC poll, 93% said presidents and members of Congress should not own or trade stock in companies that hold federal contracts 1. And 89% said companies owned or backed by a sitting president's immediate family should not get federal contracts 1.
That matters because the finding gives Democrats a concrete case to make in the final 11 days. The pattern is that voters are linking high prices to what they see in Washington, a connection Democratic strategist Brian Lemek of the group Defend the Vote described in an interview 1. Whether that shifts votes will be known on Nov. 3.
The Record
Sources
- CNBC, “Corruption is voters' top issue ahead of midterm election, CNBC survey shows” (2026-10-23). cnbc.com/2026/10/23/corruption-midterm-election-cnbc-poll-tr
- Anchorage Daily News (Washington Post), “Poll finds jump in Republicans who say Trump is enriching himself” (2026-10-19). adn.com/nation-world/2026/10/19/poll-finds-jump-in-republica
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