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F&M poll finds Pennsylvania voters increasingly worried about the economy, souring on Trump

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Pennsylvania voters are increasingly concerned about their finances and dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s performance, while Gov. Josh Shapiro maintains a sizable lead in his reelection bid, according to the latest Franklin & Marshall College Poll.

The August survey found 31% of registered voters identify the economy as Pennsylvania’s most important problem, making it the leading concern among Democrats, Republicans and independents. Nearly half (44%) said they are financially worse off than they were a year ago.

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Those concerns appear closely connected to everyday expenses. Fifty-seven percent said paying utility bills is either somewhat or very difficult, while 55% said the same about groceries. Nearly four in five respondents reported at least some difficulty paying one or more of six expenses included in the survey.

Financial strain crossed party lines, with 79% of Democrats, 74% of Republicans and 71% of independents reporting difficulty with at least one expense.

Democrats also gained an advantage when voters were asked which party could best handle economic problems. Among voters who identified an economic issue as the state’s biggest problem, 47% favored Democrats and 23% Republicans. In June, Democrats held a 42%-24% advantage.

Despite the economic pessimism, Shapiro’s ratings remain relatively stable. Forty-seven percent rated his performance as excellent or good, while an equal percentage described it as fair or poor. In a hypothetical 2026 gubernatorial matchup, Shapiro leads Republican challenger Stacy Garrity 50% to 25%, essentially unchanged from June.

The numbers are much tougher for Trump. Just 27% of Pennsylvania registered voters rated his job performance as excellent or good, compared with 73% who said fair or poor. His positive rating was 41% in F&M’s October poll.

Voters have also become less satisfied with Trump’s handling of major issues. His positive rating on immigration fell from 47% in October to 38%, while approval of his handling of foreign affairs dropped from 42% to 26%. Just 15% now positively rate his handling of inflation, down from 31%.

Only 33% said Trump’s policies have personally helped them. Looking ahead to congressional elections, Democrats lead Republicans 48% to 36% on voters’ preference for the U.S. House.

The poll also found widespread skepticism about artificial intelligence and data centers. Eighty-four percent favor greater federal regulation of AI companies, while 79% oppose having a data center built in their community. Seventy-six percent said recent AI developments make them nervous, compared with 19% who are excited.

The survey of 501 registered Pennsylvania voters was conducted Aug. 17-23 by Franklin & Marshall’s Center for Opinion Research. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points.

Source: Franklin & Marshall College

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