Corruption rises near the top of voter concerns – a rare midterm twist

Washington | Oct. 30, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET | 5 min read The midterm elections of 2026 are all about affordability – the cost of groceries, gas, healthcare, housing. Or at least that’s been the dominant narrative in the most competitive states and districts, as control of Congress and many statehouses hangs in the balance.But in the home stretch to next Tuesday, another issue is breaking through on the campaign trail: corruption. From President Donald Trump’s soaring personal wealth and that of his family members and associates, to a lack of transparency around government files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Democratic candidates are vowing to fight corruption – signaling they see it as a motivator to get voters to turn out at the polls.Specific campaigns – including the U.S. Senate contest in Texas, and a U.S. House race in Ohio featuring domestic abuse accusations – have raised questions about ethics among elected officials. In those cases, it’s Republican candidates under scrutiny. In Democratic-run Minnesota, where the lieutenant governor is running for the U.S. Senate, federal allegations of massive welfare fraud have helped make that race competitive. Nearly $300 million has been spent on ads from both parties about alleged corruption, according to a CNN report citing data from AdImpact. A Washington Post review of 8,000 political ads aired this cycle found that corruption was the second-most common topic, after the economy.Recent polls tell the story. The latest CNBC All-America Economic Survey shows government corruption at the top of the list of voter concerns, ahead of the cost of food and groceries. A Fox News poll released Oct. 14 found 60% of voters “extremely concerned” by government corruption, followed by inflation (58%). Jose Luis Magana/APBanners featuring a photograph of Donald Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein are seen on the National Mall in Washington, March 11, 2026. In September, a Gallup Poll reported that U.S. adults’ perceptions of government corruption are at a record high, with 89% saying it’s “widespread.” That’s up 10 percentage points overall from last year, including a spike among Democrats and a smaller increase among Republicans. In another Gallup survey released this month, Americans identified honesty, responsibility, and integrity as the most-needed values in the country today.“Government corruption” is a broad term and can mean different things to different voters – whether it’s the personal enrichment of elected officials or vast amounts of waste and fraud in the system. And voters have long agreed with characterizations of Washington as “corrupt.” But the issue typically does not dominate campaign discourse to the extent that it has this year. Voters “assume that most elected officials are corrupt,” says Republican pollster Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies, whose firm co-led the CNBC survey with a Democratic firm. “Where they see that corruption right now is really on the federal level, in Washington.”The Trump administration has made its own efforts to highlight what it says is corruption on the part of Democratic officials, such as with Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force.At an Oval Office event last week, President Trump awarded social media influencer Nick Shirley $10,000 for exposing alleged Medicaid fraud in Minnesota – the kickoff to a new Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, in which citizens can receive 1% of the amount of fraud they report. That follows the Elon Musk-led effort last year to eliminate “waste, fraud, and abuse” in government spending through the Department of Government Efficiency. Ellen Schmidt/APAttorney Barry Zone, right, and supporters of Salim Said, who was found guilty in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, leave after a sentencing hearing in Minneapolis, Oct. 28, 2026. Recently, Mr. Trump has alleged corrupt behavior by Democrats in Alaska’s tight Senate race, especially after the New York Times reported that former Rep. Mary Peltola’s campaign had helped recruit a man named Dan Sullivan to run against incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan in an apparent effort to confuse voters. The state’s Republican governor has ordered an investigation into the Peltola campaign.Still, it’s Democrats more than Republicans who are making corruption a centerpiece of their closing pitch to voters, particularly in battleground states.“The candidates who have been most successful are the ones who have tied the cost of corruption to the cost of living,” says Democratic strategist Celinda Lake, who is working on the campaign of Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Part of Dr. El-Sayed’s platform is the rejection of corporate PAC and super-PAC money, which he says causes politicians to prioritize the interests of their corporate backers rather than lowering healthcare, housing, and utility costs for average people.In Texas, Republican Senate nominee and state Attorney General Ken Paxton has been on the defensive in his race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico over Mr. Paxton’s alleged personal corruption. Mr. Paxton was impeached by the GOP-led Texas House in 2023 on charges of abuse of office, bribery, obstruction, and dereliction of duty, though was later acquitted. Mr. Talarico has called Mr. Paxton “the most corrupt politician in Texas” and says he will support anti-corruption measures if elected to Congress, such as banning stock trading by lawmakers. Tony Gutierrez/APTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose alleged personal corruption has dampened support for his U.S. Senate race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, speaks to supporters in the Dallas-area city of Allen, Oct. 19, 2026. In the race for the U.S. House, Democrats have been sketching out a possible legislative agenda, should they take control of the chamber come January. Earlier this week, nearly 50 Democratic candidates issued a letter pledging to make anti-corruption legislation the top priority.“It is clear that if we want to make life more affordable, we must fix the rigged system that’s driving up costs,” the letter says.Mr. Trump has made it easy for Democrats to run on the corruption issue, as the past two years have featured a steady stream of news stories about the president’s skyrocketing personal wealth and that of his family members.“One of the things he ran on in 2016 was ‘draining the swamp,’” says Shana Gadarian, a political scientist at Syracuse University and expert on voter psychology. Today, “Democrats are running on that, and saying, ‘Now he’s the swamp.’” Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. Dr. Gadarian points to the Paxton candidacy in Texas as an example of how voters can draw a link between alleged political corruption and their own financial struggles.“The smartest candidates are using corruption [by saying,] ‘People in government are getting rich off of you, and you can’t get ahead because of that,’” she says. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? 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