Nearly half of Americans no longer identify with either major political party, according to a new CNN survey that found independents reaching their highest share in more than 10 years — a result carrying fresh warning signs for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
The poll, conducted by SSRS from May 7–31 among 2,480 adults nationwide, found 47% of Americans now call themselves independents, up roughly 10 percentage points since the end of President Trump’s first term. Democrats and Republicans divided the remainder nearly evenly, with 27% identifying as Democrats and 26% as Republicans. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
Among registered voters, the shift away from the GOP is more pronounced. Democrats narrowly led Republicans 31% to 28%, with 41% claiming no party affiliation — a notable change from 2024, when Republicans held a 34%-to-31% edge over Democrats among registered voters.
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The decline in Republican identification since 2024 has been concentrated among younger voters, male voters and White voters without college degrees. Just 17% of voters under 45 now call themselves Republicans, down from 26% in 2024, while their Democratic identification held roughly steady at 33% and half said they belonged to neither party. Young men and non-college White voters showed similar patterns.
When independents who lean toward one party are factored in, 39% of Americans align more with Democrats, 37% with Republicans and 25% say they do not lean either way. Those who declined to lean at all split almost evenly when pressed to choose a side, underscoring the closely divided nature of the national electorate.
Independents are demographically and behaviorally distinct from partisans. They skew younger — 63% are under 50, compared with 52% of Democrats and 38% of Republicans — and are far less engaged politically. Only 67% say they are registered to vote, versus more than 80% each among Democrats and Republicans, and just 25% say they frequently seek out the latest political news. Their household incomes also run lower, with nearly half reporting annual earnings below $50,000.
The survey was written by CNN polling director Jennifer Agiesta, with contributions from Ariel Edwards-Levy and Edward Wu.
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