Fox News/NORC Study: Voters look to 2028 focused on the economy

After the midterm elections, attention will turn to the 2028 race for the White House. What is on voters minds as they look ahead to the next presidential election?

Most Republicans want the next president to follow President Donald Trumps policies, if not his style. Nearly 4 in 10 MAGA Republicans want Trumps successor to emulate both, and about half want the next president to follow his policies alone. Non-MAGA Republicans are less enthusiastic: 45% want his policies to continue, but only about 15% of non-MAGA Republicans want a president with the same style.

Independents prefer something entirely different: 6 in 10 want the next president to break with both Trumps policies and his style. Likewise, few Democrats want to see either his style or his policies repeated.

Even as the Democrats have won control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and Trump finds his approval rating at 39%, a bloc of voters remains loyal to the president and is likely to influence the 2028 campaign. While half of voters want a successor who does not emulate his style or follow his policies, 26% want a president who will carry on his policies, and another 12% want the next president to copy his policies and his style.

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Looking ahead, voters across party lines say improving economic conditions is the most important issue for the country to address over the next five years. Six in 10 voters feel they are holding steady financially while about 3 in 10 feel they are falling behind. Few, about 1 in 10 voters, feel they are getting ahead financially. Voters who describe their own financial situation as less than satisfactory, or say they are falling behind, are more likely to name the economy as the top issue.

What should Tuesday's winners prioritize once sworn into office? When asked what is most important for newly elected officials to work on first in 2027, 3 in 10 voters want elected officials to address grocery costs. About 2 in 10 want action on gas prices, and a similar share say they should work on healthcare and prescription drug costs.

Slightly fewer are concerned about housing costs, while about 1 in 10 want officials to address electricity and other utility costs.

Voters are closely divided on whether the country can look forward to better days or if the good days are behind us. And its linked to how theyre feeling financially. About two-thirds of those who say they are getting ahead financially are optimistic about the future. However, about two-thirds of voters who are falling behind financially think the countrys best days are in the past.

Beyond the economy, priorities diverge. About 1 in 5 Democrats point to access to affordable healthcare, while about a similar share of Republicans say protecting individuals from government overreach is the top issue. About 1 in 10 independents say the country should address the affordability of healthcare, and about the same share say government overreach.

Voters are divided over AIs effect on the U.S. economy during the next 10 years. About 4 in 10 say it will be harmful, while 3 in 10 expect benefits. About 1 in 10 expect AI to make no difference, while slightly more, about 2 in 10, are unsure. About 4 in 10 expect AI to negatively affect the environment and the arts and enter