Affordability has emerged as the top issue for voters heading into the midterm elections, both in Utah and on the national level, according to the most recent polling for the Deseret News.
A quarter (25%) of Utah voters say the economy and jobs are their top concern for the 2026 election cycle, followed by family values, faith and morality (14%), per the most recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by Morning Consult. Another 13% said inflation was their main issue, tied only with immigration.
The economy was considered a main concern across the ideological spectrum, making it the top issue for self-identified conservatives (27%), moderates (27%), and liberals (22%) alike, the poll showed. It was also the top issue regardless of income level.
That sentiment was mirrored on the national level as another 25% said the economy and jobs were their top concern, making it the most pressing midterm issue so far, according to the poll. Another 17% said inflation was their No. 1 issue.
As Congress seeks to come to an agreement to keep health care costs down following the expiration of certain Obamacare tax credits, 11% of Utah voters said that was their top concern for the November elections, the poll showed.
That was higher on the national level as 17% of voters across the country said health care was their top concern. Meanwhile, 14% said immigration was their top issue nationally compared to just 13% who said the same in Utah.
Other issues were deemed less important for voters in the Beehive State, such as abortion (4%) education (4%), political affiliation of a certain candidate (4%), guns and the Second Amendment (3%), foreign policy (2%), and energy policy 2%).
Those issues were in the bottom half of issues for voters nationally as well.
The most recent polling comes as a majority of voters hold a negative view of Congress both nationally and locally.
Only 35% of Utah voters say they approve of Congress, with just 9% saying they strongly approve, the poll shows. That’s compared to 56% who said they disapprove, including 24% who said they strongly disapprove.
Another 10% were unsure.
Those numbers were closely matched to national polling. About 33% of U.S. voters say they approve of Congress with only 8% who say they strongly support their performance, the poll showed. However, 58% said the opposite, with 27% who said they strongly disapprove. Ten percent were unsure.
The poll was conducted Feb. 10-14 by Morning Consult among 769 registered Utah voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The national poll surveyed 2,002 voters in the same time period and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.