Gallup: record-low 43% of voters say their own representative deserves reelection

Support for reelecting members of Congress has dropped to record lows days before the midterm elections, according to a new Gallup poll. Gallup says 43% of registered voters think their own representative deserves another term. ²

Only 15% say the same about most members of Congress. ² Semafor, which also reported the results, calls that figure a record pre-midterm low. ¹

What the poll found

Gallup says this is the first time a final pre-midterm reading has shown less than half of voters backing their own representative's reelection. ² Semafor describes the findings as a warning sign for incumbents from both parties who are fighting to keep their seats next week. ¹

Independent voters were the least positive. Among them, 36% said their own representative should be reelected, and 9% said most members of Congress should be. ¹

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The poll also found that 14% of Americans approve of how Congress is handling its job. ¹

record-low shares of U.S. registered voters say they would reelect their own representative

Republican voters have cooled on Congress

Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House. Semafor reports that Republican voters' approval of Congress fell from 53% shortly after the GOP took control of Washington to 29% now. ¹

That matters because members of the president's party usually count on their own side to stay loyal. A drop of 24 percentage points in approval among Republican voters suggests that support is weaker than it was when the party took power. That is analysis, not a finding Gallup reported.

What to watch

The midterm elections are next week, so the numbers will soon be tested at the ballot box. ¹ Both parties have incumbents on the ballot, and the poll does not single out one party's members. ¹²

The coverage we reviewed does not give the poll's sample size, the dates it was in the field, or its margin of error. ¹² Those details would come from Gallup's full release, which we could not load. A national poll of this kind also cannot say how any single House or Senate race will turn out.

We did not find on-the-record reaction from congressional Democrats or Republicans to the poll in the coverage we reviewed. We will add it if it comes.

The Record

1. Oct 28, 2026Gallup reports 43% of registered voters say their own representative deserves reelection, a record low for a final pre-midterm reading ²
2. Oct 28, 2026Gallup finds 15% say most members of Congress deserve reelection, and Semafor reports 14% approve of Congress ¹²

Sources

1. Semafor, “Most Americans don't want to see incumbents reelected in Washington, poll finds” (2026-10-28). semafor.com/article/10/28/2026/most-americans-dont-want-to-s
2. Political Wire, “Congress at Record Low Approval” (2026-10-28). politicalwire.com/2026/10/28/congress-at-record-low-approval

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