The United States military campaign against Iran weighed heavily on voters during the 2026 midterm elections, according to exit polling. The conflict also intersected with concerns about household expenses, which voters believed had been worsened by the fighting.

The Voter Poll conducted by SSRS for a consortium of news organizations found that 74% of voters considered the Iran war either a crucial or major factor in their congressional decisions. The consortium included the Associated Press, NBC News, and other outlets.

Among voters who placed the war in those two categories, 62% supported Democratic candidates, and 35% backed Republicans. That split showed a substantial advantage for Democrats among the voters who gave the conflict the most weight.

The divide was even wider among the 34% of voters who called the war a “crucial” factor. Within that group, 70% voted for Democratic Party candidates, while just 27% cast ballots for Republican candidates.

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Another 40% described the war as a major factor in their vote. Of those respondents, 55% supported Democrats, and 42% backed Republicans, according to the same SSRS Voter Poll data distributed across participating news outlets.

According to exit polls, 74 percent of voters said the Iran war was a crucial or major factor in their vote.

62 percent of those voters sided with Democrats in today’s election. We had a generational opportunity and a massive coalition in 2024, and neocons pissed it all away for yet another pointless Middle East war. — Sean Davis (@seanmdav) November 4, 2026

Republicans performed far better among voters who placed less emphasis on the conflict. The 19% who called the war a minor factor favored Republicans by 68% to 29%.

The 7% who said the war was not a factor also broke decisively toward the Republican Party. In that group, 74% supported Republican candidates, while 22% voted for Democrats.

Other exit polling produced similar findings about attitudes toward the military campaign itself. An Associated Press Voter Poll and related network surveys found that roughly six in 10 voters believed the United States had made the wrong decision by launching military action against Iran.

Opposition was especially strong among voters supporting Democratic House candidates, reaching 95%. At the same time, 22% of Republican voters also said the decision to launch military action was wrong.

Responsible Statecraft and NBC reporting cited the same 62% “wrong decision” figure. Those reports also highlighted the finding that 74% of voters regarded the war as either crucial or major when deciding how to vote.

Surveys conducted before the election had already shown widespread concern about the conflict. A Fox News poll in early October found that 75% of registered voters were “extremely” or “very” concerned about the war.

An AP-NORC survey conducted around the same period found that 62% of registered voters considered the conflict one of the most important issues. Another 31% said it was important but did not place it among their highest priorities.

Fox News polling also found that voters opposed to military action favored Democratic congressional candidates by a wide margin. The pre-election results anticipated the stark partisan divisions that later appeared in the exit polling.

The war began in late February 2026 and was linked by voters and analysts to higher energy prices. Average gasoline prices reached $4.12 per gallon on election day, while diesel reached $6.28, representing an approximately 50% increase since February.

America just voted against the Iran war but it did not vote for the regime that started it. Islamic Republic remains the enemy, no matter who controls the Congress.

Democrats have won both chambers of Congress. CNN projects they will control the House and the Senate; CBS says they are on track for their largest House majority in nearly two decades. The wins reached deep-red states: James Talarico in Texas (first Democratic Senate win there since 1988), Annie Andrews in South Carolina, Adam Hamilton ousting Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, and Roy Cooper flipping North Carolina. CBS called the Senate with Josh Turek’s win in Iowa. Exit polls show about six in ten voters calling military action against Iran the wrong decision. A CBS exit poll put Trump’s approval at 38 percent. People close to Trump, per the Wall Street Journal, blame the Iran war and energy prices for the losses. Trump’s response: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” On Fox, Sean Hannity said the race would have been different without the war: “100%. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it.” Within minutes, NIAC urged Democrats to defund the war. All of this followed weeks of the regime cheering against Trump, from the IRGC’s letter to American voters to Tehran’s “We Will Kill Trump” billboard on Election Day. Today is the 47th anniversary of the regime taking 52 Americans hostage. Americans voted about gas prices and an unpopular war, not for the Islamic Republic that causes both. Expect Islamic Republic rallies to call this a win for “Death to America.” But for Iranians the war never stops: young protesters were hanged yesterday, the IRGC is choking Hormuz, and 90 million people live under a regime they never chose. A new Congress can end a war without handing the IRGC a lifeline. Stand with the Iranian people and Reza Pahlavi’s call for a free Iran, not with the mullahs, war or no war. — Siaxares (@siaxares) November 4, 2026

The increase was attributed in part to disruptions involving the Strait of Hormuz. With household costs already central to voters, the fuel price spike added an economic dimension to public dissatisfaction over the war.

Roughly 60% of voters participating in the exit polling blamed President Trump’s policies for prices running higher than usual. Earlier AP-NORC and Gallup findings showed majorities believed the conflict was not worth its costs and were dissatisfied with how it had been handled.

Younger voters who supported Trump in 2024 cited both the war and economic conditions during interviews about their reduced enthusiasm. Some also described choosing not to participate in the 2026 election.

The broader national mood was equally sour. Three quarters of voters in the AP Voter Poll described themselves as angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country.

Those results came as the Democratic Party posted historic gains in both the U.S. House and Senate. Republican candidates were blown out in reliably red Senate races in Iowa, Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas, as well as in swing states.

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