From left, Democratic New York State Assembly candidate Ilpa Saritupack, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and former New York City Comptroller and U.S. Democratic House candidate for New York Brad Lander campaign during the primary election on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in New York, U.S.
Adam Gray | Bloomberg | getty images
More voters would be more likely to support a democratic socialist candidate than a Make America Great Again supporter or a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump. CNBC All-America Economic Survey Found released on Friday.
The survey findings come as Democratic Socialist candidates have swept Democratic primaries across the country following the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in November. The shift has become a lightning rod for Republicans, who are aggressively branding Democrats as communists.
The results indicate that even with many self-described democratic socialists on the ballot, Democrats will have the upper hand in the November midterm elections, widely seen as a referendum on Trump. It also shows that voters are liking the idea of a more powerful federal government that provides more services in exchange for higher taxes.
The survey found that 32% of registered voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate if they described themselves as a Democratic Socialist, while 50% would be less likely to vote for such a candidate. Twenty-nine percent of voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports Trump, while 52% would be less likely. A candidate who describes himself as a supporter of the MAGA movement fared even worse, with only 27% of voters saying it would make them more likely to vote for him and 57% saying it would make them less likely to vote for him.
CNBC’s All America Poll was conducted July 8–12 in conjunction with Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies with 1,000 registered voters in the US. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%.
Many of the democratic socialists set to be on the ballot this year are calling for raising taxes on America’s wealthiest to finance universal health care, a higher minimum wage and universal basic income.
Given Republican control of the White House until 2028, his election would be unlikely to lead to immediate policy changes. But it would mean a more adversarial relationship between Congress and the executive branch that could block legislation in favor of the Trump administration, while also providing a window into how Democrats will govern if they recapture the White House in 2028.
Democrats have also gained a lead of four percentage points in the general ballot, with 49% of voters saying they would prefer a Democrat-controlled Congress and 45% preferring Republican control.
The poll found the president’s approval rating at 40%, with 59% expressing disapproval, down one point from the April survey. Sixty percent disapprove of his handling of the economy, which is worse than in April, while 38 percent approve. Both changes are within the margin of error in the survey, but are consistent with other recent surveys on the president’s position.
The poll found that capitalism is more popular than socialism in the US, but public sentiment has declined in recent years as socialism has risen.
Twenty-eight percent of registered voters in the poll viewed socialism positively, a jump from 18% in 2024.
Voters aged 18–34 preferred socialism by a margin of 18% points, while the older demographic preferred capitalism. This may give a new shape to the voters in the future. Or today’s young voters may evolve their preferences as they age.
“If these current attitudes persist over time, and today’s 18-49 year olds continue to hold these types of attitudes, then we’re going to see a major shift in terms of the national conversation and the economic policy prescriptions that we’re seeing coming out of Congress and different places over time,” said Micah Roberts, partner at Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican pollster for the survey. “Today’s perspective of 18-34 year olds is the reality of our country in 20 years.”
Voters surveyed did not believe that any form of socialism would be a good idea for the country, but by a very narrow margin. Forty-four percent of voters surveyed said some form of socialism would be a bad thing, while 40% said it would be a good thing – reducing the gap by half from the last time the poll was held. In a 2019 Gallup poll, 43% of adults saw socialism as a good thing and 51% saw it as a bad thing.
And in 1942, the first time this question was voted on and while the world was embroiled in World War II, 25% of voters thought socialism was a good idea. Forty percent thought it was a bad idea, and 34% were undecided.