New Report Shows Economic and Affordability Fears, Foreign Conflict, and a Crisis of Confidence Are Reshaping the Voter Landscape
RESTON, VA, April 16, 2026 – Resonate, the leader in predictive consumer intelligence, has released their bimonthly Voter Trends Report, a deep-dive into the issues, sentiments, and motivations driving American voter behavior during the 2026 primary elections.
Resonate’s proprietary political intelligence draws on more than 15,000 unique attributes, allowing campaign managers to better educate and engage with voters on the issues that matter most to election outcomes. The report’s findings reveal an electorate that is financially strained, politically skeptical, and resistant to broad, generalized messaging.
Key trend data shows that:
Affordability is everyone’s issue, not a demographic one. Affordability is a universal issue for voters, regardless of income or party affiliation. Almost 95% have been impacted by higher prices. With 44% of the electorate going out less, 32% cutting costs on non-essentials, and 25% delaying one or more large purchases, campaigns that treat affordability as a niche, demographic, or partisan issue will miss most voters they are trying to reach.
Economic sentiment is souring. Most Americans (72%) now rate the US economy as poor or fair, a 3% dip in consumer confidence in just a few months. Since the start of the conflict in Iran, concerns over fuel prices jumped 20% in a matter of weeks. And 42% of voters worry that stock market volatility will affect investment and retirement decisions. Only 19% of voters believe the nation is on the right track.
Voter blame for challenges is complex and multifaceted. Voter discontent is high across numerous issues, and they will apportion blame at the polls differently based on distinct views. Almost 43% of voters tie inflation worries to tariffs and trade policies; another 43% blame President Trump; and 30.1% cite corporate price gouging. The handling of immigration concerns is also under voter scrutiny, as 46.5% strongly agree that ICE has gone too far, and 28.1% want to abolish it entirely. When it comes to foreign policy challenges, 48% believe that US involvement in foreign conflicts should be limited. The salient point for campaign managers is that these issues do not cohere into monolithic voter blocs, and reaching these voters with the right messages at the right time is only possible through predictive intelligence.
Healthcare costs fuel voter anxiety alongside affordability. Healthcare costs and debt rank as a top concern for 40% of voters, and 79% are impacted by medication affordability. These issues go hand-in-hand with a lack of faith in government leadership, which another 40% of voters cite as their core concern. Campaigns looking to connect on economic anxiety cannot overlook healthcare and leadership as secondary issues; they are woven into the way voters experience financial pressures.
Where voters go for their news is shifting. Local news remains the most trusted source of news for 36.6% of the electorate and has held steady over time. But YouTube has gained ground and is now the primary news source for almost 20% of voters, marking a 5.3% increase in this channel in just three months. Campaigns can still trust local news as part of their media strategy, but those that rely on last cycle’s YouTube influence will fall behind.
“The Voter Trends Report makes it very clear that voters aren’t locked into simple narratives, and campaigns that repeat generic messages will lose ground to campaigns that speak to individual, nuanced concerns,” said Bob Brennan, VP of Political and Advocacy Sales at Resonate. “It’s essential to understand the financial realities Americans face, the issues that motivate them to act, and where they consume decision-making information. Our political intelligence delivers that clarity and converts it into measurable campaign outcomes.”
The 2026 primary elections are not a single-issue ones for voters. The convergence of affordability anxiety, geopolitical instability, rising healthcare costs, and government distrust point to a systemic loss of confidence. Campaigns that can reach these diverse voters before sentiment hardens will be best positioned to connect with persuadable voters before their opponents do.
Access the full report HERE.
