J Street 2026 Midterm Poll Finds Strong, Enduring Jewish Support for Democratic Party

Washington, DC – A new national poll commissioned by J Street found that 72% of Jewish voters backed Democratic congressional candidates in the 2026 midterm elections, underscoring the enduring strength of Jewish support for the Democratic Party as J Street-backed candidates scored major victories across the country.

The survey of 800 Jewish voters, conducted by GBAO from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3, found that Democratic congressional candidates received 72% of the Jewish vote, compared with 24% for Republicans. The results come as J Street celebrates its largest-ever midterm political effort, in which the organization endorsed more than 200 candidates, raised more than $13 million and saw an estimated 98% of its endorsed candidates projected to win their races.

The results also point to widespread opposition to President Donald Trump among Jewish voters and substantial support for a different approach to American policy toward Israel. 76% of respondents disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while large majorities support imposing sanctions on violent West Bank settlers and Israeli government ministers who aid settler violence.

“Jewish Americans have been treated as a political football throughout this election cycle, with politicians and commentators insisting that our community demands unconditional support for the Israeli government. These results tell a very different story. Jewish voters overwhelmingly backed Democrats, strongly oppose President Trump and support holding the Israeli government accountable for its actions. They want American leadership that advances peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and they are rejecting the idea that supporting Israel means writing its government a blank check,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami.

Key findings from the national survey include:

• 72% of Jewish voters supported Democratic congressional candidates, compared with 24% who backed Republicans, continuing the community’s longstanding Democratic voting patterns.
• 76% disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, including 74% who strongly disapprove. 
• Democracy and the economy were the leading electoral concerns. Forty-four percent identified the future of democracy as one of their two most important voting issues, followed by the cost of living and economy at 34%. Israel was selected by 14%.
• 76% support sanctions against violent West Bank settlers, and an identical percentage support sanctions against Israeli government ministers who aid and abet settler violence. Fifty-nine percent support sanctions against businesses and individuals involved in building or financing West Bank settlements.
• 66% believe AIPAC’s campaign spending against candidates who criticize Israel increases antisemitism in the United States. Separately, 39% said support from an AIPAC super PAC makes them less likely to support a candidate, compared with 13% who said more likely.
• 80% believe Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank increase antisemitism in the United States. Sixty percent believe Jewish organizations that condemn harsh criticism of Israel as antisemitic are exploiting concerns about antisemitism to defend unpopular Israeli government policies.

“Last night’s results were also a resounding victory for the politics J Street has championed since our founding,” Ben-Ami continued. “We supported a record number of candidates who share our commitment to democracy, diplomacy and a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their victories show that there is a growing political constituency for a different approach to Israel and Palestine, and we intend to build on that momentum in the next Congress.”

An analysis memo from GBAO, topline survey results, PowerPoint presentation and crosstabs are linked here. 

“Jewish voters, like many Americans, viewed the midterms as a referendum on President Trump’s performance and the Republican Party’s unquestioning support for his actions. American Jews remain a core Democratic constituency with firmly held political beliefs and values, and their voting behavior has remained remarkably consistent despite the emergence of controversial issues each election cycle. Conventional wisdom about the impact of Jewish concerns over antisemitism and what it means to support Israel often misses the mark on how Jews process these issues in America’s political context. The reality is that Jews express nuanced thinking on these issues that is frequently missing in the extensive media coverage of the Jewish community,” said Jim Gerstein, founding partner at GBAO Strategies.

J Street has commissioned national surveys of American Jewish voters since 2010, tracking the community’s political priorities, voting patterns and views on U.S. policy toward Israel. Previous election surveys, analysis memos and topline results are available at jstreet.org/polling.

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