JEI LATEST MIDTERM POST-ELECTION POLL: THE MELLMAN GROUP SUMMARY MEMO

November 9, 2026

Two Distinct but Equally Significant Stories Emerge from the 2026 Jewish Midterm Vote — Warning Signs for Both Democrats and Republicans.


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November 9, 2026
CONTACT: Michael Bloomfield Mellman Group Managing Director (202) 251-0793 Barbara Goldberg Goldman, JEI Chair, (202) 695-0531 69% of Jewish voters supported Democrats, even as concerns over antisemitism, political extremism and Israel expose growing tensions within both parties (This analysis is based on the findings of a national survey of 800 Jewish registered voters who voted in the November 2026 election. The survey was conducted using a high-quality online national panel from October 29–November 6, 2026. The margin of error for the sample is +/- 3.5% at the 95% level of confidence, higher for subgroups). JEI will host an open-to-the-press public briefing on Tuesday, November 10, at 11:00 a.m. ET, featuring the pollsters from The Mellman Group ** who conducted the poll. They will present the findings, explore their implications for both political parties, and answer questions. Register HERE for the briefing. The latest Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI)* post-midterm election poll results confirm that the Jewish electorate is one of the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituencies. However, this latest poll by the nine-year-old independent, nonpartisan JEI reveals a far more complex political landscape beneath that loyalty. It found that 69% of Jewish voters supported Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections, even as Israel, antisemitism, and the Jewish community itself became unusually prominent, and at times deeply troubling, campaign issues. Since 2024, Jewish Democratic voter support for Democratic candidates has declined, albeit modestly. It stands below the levels recorded during the Democratic wave in President Trump’s previous midterm election. The Mellman Group summary memo can be found HERE. The findings reveal significant concerns within both parties: ● Antisemitism crosses party lines. Among Jewish Republican voters, 25% believe the GOP is too accepting of antisemitic rhetoric, while 24% believe it is becoming too much of a home for white nationalists and the far right. ● Jewish Democrats are raising alarms as well. More than one-third (36%) believe their party is too accepting of antisemitic rhetoric, while 24% worry it is becoming too much of a home for socialists and the far left. ● Israel remains a point of tension. More than one-quarter (28%) of Jewish Democratic voters report supporting candidates whose positions on Israel concerned them, choosing those candidates because of other considerations. A LOYAL ELECTORATE, BUT NOT WITHOUT RESERVATIONS Michael Bloomfield, Managing Director of The Mellman Group says: “In this historic landslide, the Jewish vote was driven in great part by the national concerns that swept the country. Even as Israel, antisemitism, and the Jewish community itself became campaign issues, they were overwhelmed by the larger referendum on Trump and rising costs. But the underlying potential flash points have not gone away, and they will be key factors to consider as we move away from the midterms and into the complete reshaping of Congress and the presidential primaries.” Barbara Goldberg Goldman, Chair of JEI: “As we head into the 2028 election cycle, these findings are an important guide to the changing political landscape for the American Jewish community.” AMERICAN JEWS ALSO WEIGH IN ON ISRAEL’S POLITICAL FUTURE Former Israeli General Gadi Eisenkot remains relatively unfamiliar to American Jews, but those expressing an opinion view him favorably by more than two to one: 30% favorable compared with 12% unfavorable. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, continues to face substantial disapproval, with 63% of American Jews viewing him unfavorably. JEI’s September pre-midterm election poll conducted by The Mellman Group found that only 16% wanted Netanyahu to remain prime minister, compared with 60% who favored replacing him. To register for the NOVEMBER 10 ,11: 00 am open-to-the-press briefing : Register HERE . *ABOUT JEI The Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI) is an independent, nonpartisan, politically unaffiliated, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the active and informed participation of the Jewish community in the democratic process. ​​** The Mellman Group Named “ Pollster of the Year ” three times by the American Association of Political Consultants, The Mellman Group has provided sophisticated opinion research and strategic advice to political leaders, public interest organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies for over 30 years. All told, The Mellman Group has helped win over fifty Senate and gubernatorial races, and nearly one hundred House race contests.
November 1, 2026
That evidence includes a September survey by the Jewish Electorate Institute , conducted by the Democratic-aligned Mellman Group. It found that Jewish voters favored Democratic congressional candidates over Republicans by 71% to 23%. The Democratic advantage was virtually unchanged from their similar survey in March. Among Jewish Democrats, 97% said they would vote Democratic. At the same time, the survey found real unease within the party. More than a third of Jewish Democrats said the rise of anti-Israel candidates had made it harder for them personally to identify as Democrats. A majority of Jewish voters said antisemitism was increasing within the Democratic Party, and a similar share said it was increasing within the Republican Party.
October 31, 2026
A Jewish Electorate Institute poll conducted in late August and early September found that 71% of Jewish respondents would vote for the Democrat in their congressional race, while just 23% would back the Republican.  Those numbers are virtually unchanged since March. But among Jews engaged in Jewish life, you can see the shift happening in real time.