A voter cast a ballot on the first day of early voting in Minnesota at the Elections   Voter Services building, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

WASHINGTON - Aaron Siever was never a single-party voter. But now, the 41-year-old from southwest Virginia is more frustrated than ever with the two political parties whose chief accomplishment, he says, is blaming each other for getting little done.

 There's so much turmoil,  said Siever, a former police officer who now guides Civil War battlefield tours.  It really messes up chances of getting anything done. It gets really disgusting. 


Voters are deeply dissatisfied with President Donald Trump and his Republican Party heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, and Democrats have built a clear advantage on pressing issues such as the cost of living and healthcare over just a few months.

But the survey also points to a bigger problem for both parties: Few registered voters think either party is able to solve important problems or help Americans like them.

That undercurrent of cynicism will be a challenge for Democrats and the Republicans, no matter which party controls Congress. Frustration with Republicans is growing, but voters do not appear to think Democrats have a long-term solution to the country's problems, either.

Democrats have gained on key issues, survey shows

Voters give Democrats the advantage when it comes to which party would be better to handle the cost of living, an issue that has proved to be a weak spot for Trump.

The survey finds that 38% of registered voters say the Democrats would be better for costs, compared with 27% who say that about the Republicans. The issue was about evenly split among U.S. adults in February, with about 3 in 10 saying each party would be better.

Democrats have also gained ground on the economy. About 4 in 10 registered voters now pick the Democrats, compared with 26% of U.S. adults in February.

These shifts are good news for Democratic candidates who are hammeri

#click2houston   #crimewatchhouston