A private poll conducted for the Democratic Party reportedly shows voters saying that reducing crime is an important issue to them, and most trust Republicans more than Democrats to make the country safer.
POLITICO reported that it obtained data from the poll, which discovered that 89% of the 1,200 respondents from various battleground districts want their Congress member to prioritize safety. However, just 39% said that they would trust a Democrat politician rather than a Republican to work on safety.
The poll also reportedly discovered that voters said Republican lawmakers would be better than Democrats at preventing and reducing crime, as well as following through on punishments for violent crime.
According to the outlet, the poll’s findings are being shown to Democrats in the House of Representatives and their campaign committees to explain what voters are looking for ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
While the initial results of the poll could prove promising for Republicans next year, POLITICO reported that respondents were likely to have more favorable views of Democrat politicians after listening to an acknowledgement that crime is an issue in the U.S. and viewing safety measures implemented by Democrats. The messaging shown to the respondents highlighted Democrat-led efforts to stop gun trafficking and improve firearm background checks but also criticized Republican policies that sought to expand access to firearms or cut back on federal funding to gun violence prevention programs.
After hearing the messages, voters swung away from favoring Republican leaders. Democrats gained an edge of 2 points in the category of crime reduction, 4 points in the category of safety, and 6 points in the category of preventing crime. Voters were still more likely to say that Republicans would be better at cracking down on violent crime, but only by one point.
According to POLITICO, the pollsters are “angling to revamp Democrats’ crime messaging, urging candidates to project toughness on crime and campaign against traditionally law-and-order-focused Republicans for making cities less safe by slashing federal funding.”
The outlet added, “And they want the party to shift quickly, lest they give Republicans a runway to ramp up their attacks in the upcoming midterms, when Democrats look to deny the GOP its slim advantage in the House.”
However, Democrats are not unified in their response to the public’s demand for safety, POLITICO reported. Some want to focus on gun violence, others want more funding for law enforcement, and some candidates are more interested in working-class voters and economic messages than public safety.
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