Written by Eli Yokley and Kayla Bruun
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The consumer-sentiment reaction to the Democratic sweep is larger than after the 2018 and 2022 midterms, moving along the partisan lines seen after presidential elections.
The 2026 midterms produced a larger partisan reaction
Our initial read shows Democrats grew more hopeful while Republicans soured, leaving Americans’ overall sentiment flat after a campaign shaped by frustration with President Donald Trump and household costs.
This reaction resembles the partisan sorting our always-on Index of Consumer Sentiment has measured after presidential elections.
Where consumer sentiment stood
Democrats’ consumer sentiment rose 6 index points while Republicans’ fell 6, leaving the general population’s topline flat. Democrats gained ground from a much lower starting point, while Republicans remained more positive about the economy despite their decline.
The biggest changes concern what comes next. Expectations for personal finances and the broader economy accounted for almost all of Democrats’ improvement and most of Republicans’ decline. Democrats grew more hopeful about their own finances a year ahead, while Republicans’ largest drop came in their five-year business outlook.
Expectations moved more than current feelings on finances
There’s been no matching bump in the demand signal. Morning Consult’s Consumer Health Index, which combines sentiment and labor data to track demand, showed no matching improvement.
Brighter expectations haven't lifted the demand signal
Consumer demand did not change among U.S. adults, and actually edged down among Democrats and Republicans. This stands in contrast to the 2024 presidential election, when Republicans’ demand improved.
To be sure, the 2024 election produced a larger shift among partisans, with expectations driving most of the movement and assessments of current finances and buying conditions moving less.
The partisan shift ran through expectations
The 2020 comparison comes from a different economic moment during the pandemic. Still, Democrats’ sentiment improved by about as much after this midterm as it did after Joe Biden’s 2020 election.
The partisan shift in consumer vibes is clear. Whether it lasts—or reaches spending—remains to be seen.
Source: Morning Consult surveys of U.S. adults through Nov. 8, 2026. Trend charts show four weeks before each election through five days after it. Comparisons use the seven days before each election and the first five days after it, excluding election day. Current conditions combine the personal-finances and buying-conditions questions.
Summary
Democrats grew more hopeful and Republicans soured after the 2026 midterms, leaving overall consumer sentiment flat but moving along presidential-election lines.
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Economic
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