A recent survey by the Saint Anselm College Survey Center (SACSC) at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) shows voter optimism continuing to decline, with Elections/Democracy remaining the top concern. Although down from 31% in August, 23% of respondents, including 36% of Democratic voters, still identify this as the most important issue facing the country. Fifty-eight percent of respondents believe the country is on the wrong track, and a 46% plurality say the same about New Hampshire. Democratic voters report higher intent to participate in next year’s elections, with 93% “extremely likely” to vote compared to 86% of Republicans.
The Democratic advantage on the generic ballot has narrowed as more voters express uncertainty, with 10% now unsure which party they will support. President Donald Trump’s favorability remains stable at 57% unfavorable and 43% favorable, identical to his job approval. Governor Kelly Ayotte continues to hold relatively strong ratings at 49% favorable to 44% unfavorable.
New Hampshire voters give former Senator John E. Sununu an early advantage in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, while Congressman Chris Pappas maintains a narrow lead over both prospective Republican challengers. Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander retains a modest early edge in a likely rematch with Lily Tang Williams, and Stefany Shaheen remains the clear Democratic frontrunner in the 1st Congressional District.
Vice-President JD Vance leads the Republican presidential field with 57% support, while Pete Buttigieg and Gavin Newsom continue to lead among Democratic primary voters.
Neil Levesque, executive director of the NH Institute of Politics, noted: “As we head into the midterm elections, Republicans are on the back foot as Democratic voters show early enthusiasm. Although current officeholders Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander have seen their popularity decline over the last couple of months, they’ll look to build on early leads driven by a polarized environment that favors the party out of power.”
Full Results
These results are from a Saint Anselm College Survey Center poll based on online surveys of 2112 New Hampshire registered voters. Surveys were collected between November 18th and 19th, 2025, from cell phone users randomly drawn from a sample of registered voters reflecting the demographic and partisan characteristics of the voting population. Names were presented in random order for the favorability and ballot tests. The survey has an overall margin of sampling error of+/- 2.1% with a confidence interval of 95%. The data are weighted for age, gender, geography, education, and 2024 presidential vote based on a voter demographic model derived from historical voting patterns, but are not weighted by party registration or party identification.
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About the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College
Founded in 2001, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College provides a nonpartisan forum for discussion and debate. It seeks to develop programming, and to foster scholarship and dialogue, encompassing a diverse range of political topics, opinions and issues. The Institute serves as a resource for students, scholars, politicians, and the general public.