Republicans Report More Financial Security Than Democrats Ahead of the Midterms

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say they can pay their bills, save money, and afford the lives they want, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Americans' finances ahead of the midterm elections.

The report found that 46% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they had enough income to lead the kind of life they wanted, compared with 35% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.

That 11-percentage-point difference was accompanied by gaps across several other measures of financial security, even though Pew described income differences between the two political coalitions as modest.

Seventy-eight percent of Republicans said they could typically pay all their monthly bills in full, compared with 69% of Democrats. Republicans were also more likely to report having saved for the future during the previous year, at 51%, versus 43% of Democrats.

Emergency preparedness showed a smaller divide. Fifty-one percent of Republicans said they had funds sufficient to cover three months of expenses in an emergency, compared with 45% of Democrats.

The findings arrive as prices and affordability remain prominent concerns heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Pew reported that Republicans remained more positive than Democrats about the overall economy, although Republican ratings had declined since January.

Even among Republicans, fewer than half said their income supported the life they wanted. About half reported saving for the future or maintaining a three-month emergency cushion. Democrats reported more limited financial security on each measure, but the broader national findings show that financial pressure reaches across party lines.

Sixty percent of Americans said they lacked sufficient income to lead the life they wanted. Fifty-three percent did not have emergency savings that could cover three months of expenses, and 27% could not pay some monthly bills or could make only partial payments.

Many had already reduced discretionary spending. Seven in 10 adults said they had cut back on extras, including restaurant meals, streaming subscriptions or other entertainment, during the previous year. More than half, 54%, said they had been unable to save for the future.

Income differences were substantial across nearly every measure, according to Pew. Seventy-one percent of lower-income adults experienced at least one of four hardships involving medical care, transportation, housing payments, or obtaining food from a pantry. That compared with 39% of middle-income adults and 13% of upper-income adults.

Forty-one percent were not too confident or not at all confident that future income would support the life they wanted, compared with 22% who were very or extremely confident. The analysis drew on two summer surveys, including an August 24-30 survey of 5,166 adults who also completed an earlier survey.