A sweeping new survey finds that a record 70% of Americans now believe the Democratic Party is “out of touch” with the issues that matter most to voters — a stunning double-digit increase from a decade ago that underscores deepening disillusionment across nearly every demographic group.

The findings, released by Welcome, a center-left organization, paint a grim picture for Democrats ahead of 2026. The group’s Deciding to Win report shows that voters increasingly view the party as preoccupied with identity-based and cultural battles — particularly “protecting the rights of undocumented immigrants” and “protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans” — while neglecting kitchen-table concerns like the economy, border security, and crime.

“Democrats need to make fundamental changes,” the report warns. “We must focus more on issues voters feel we ignore — the economy, the cost of living, health care, border security, public safety — and focus less on issues they believe we overemphasize, including climate change, democracy, abortion, and identity politics.”

The study — which surveyed over 500,000 Americans between November 2024 and June 2025 — found that Democratic support has eroded sharply among working-class and minority voters since 2012. Non-college-educated Latino voters dropped support for the party by 16 percentage points, Asian-American voters by 15 points, and Black voters by 11 points.

The only demographic where Democrats gained ground: college-educated whites, up 4%, and all college-educated voters combined, up just 2%.

While just 39% of voters now say the Democratic Party has “the right priorities,” nearly six in ten say it does not.

Voters said Democrats should focus most on “protecting Social Security and Medicare” (82%), “lowering everyday costs” (79%), and “making health care more affordable” (74%). Other top issues included “creating jobs and economic growth” (74%), “cutting taxes on the middle class” (66%), “lowering crime rates” (56%), and “securing the border” (53%).

By contrast, only 23% of respondents supported prioritizing “protecting illegal immigrants,” 24% supported raising taxes to expand social programs, and 25% said LGBTQ rights should be a top Democratic focus.

Ironically, 21% of respondents also said Democrats are more focused on border security than they should be — suggesting confusion or distrust about the party’s messaging on immigration.

While both parties continue to face skepticism, the GOP has slightly improved its image. In 2013, 70% of voters viewed Republicans as “out of touch.” That figure has fallen to 65% in 2025 — a modest but symbolic rebound at a time when Democrats’ numbers have moved in the opposite direction.

Welcome’s authors offered a blunt conclusion: “Winning does not happen by accident. It’s a choice — a choice to be disciplined and strategic and to confront difficult truths about the electorate.”

“It is essential that we make these strategic shifts because it is essential that we win,” the group concluded.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)