More Americans are identifying as independents than at anyothertimeinrecenthistory, and at the same time independents are highly skeptical of the Democratic Party, calling into question the narrative that Democrats will recoup significant power in the midterm elections in 2026.
Americans identifying as independent is at a record high. According to Gallup, 43 percent of voters refuse to identify with either major party and claim political independence, while 28 percent say they are Democrats and 28 percent say they are Republicans. Of course, the vast majority of political independents who end up voting gravitate toward one of the two major parties during elections.
Historically, the voting preference of independents tends to correlate with large cultural shifts that upturn existing power structures, and in a majority of modern midterm election cycles the party that has won the independent vote gains power.
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