F&M poll shows Shapiro ahead as PA voters grow more negative on economy, Trump – WGAL
Pennsylvania voters are increasingly worried about their finances, pessimistic about the state’s direction and more dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s job performance, according to the June 2026 Franklin & Marshall College Poll.
Video above: WGAL’s Matt Barcaro and Political Analyst Berwood Yost analyze the poll results.
The poll found that 47 percent of registered voters say they are worse off financially than they were a year ago, up from 36 percent in March, while 47 percent say Pennsylvania is on the wrong track compared with 36 percent who say it is headed in the right direction.
According to the poll, the economy remains the top issue facing Pennsylvania voters, with 35 percent naming it as the state’s most important problem.
Economic concerns cited by voters included:
Among voters who identified economic problems as the biggest issue, Democrats were favored over Republicans on handling the economy, 42 percent to 24 percent, according to the poll.
The poll found Gov. Josh Shapiro’s job approval rating is evenly split:
Support for Shapiro varied by party:
In the 2026 governor’s race, the poll found Shapiro leading Republican challenger Stacy Garrity 50 percent to 28 percent.
Video below: Shapiro leads as Pennsylvania voters sour on economy
The survey found strong support for several state policy ideas, including:
The poll found President Trump’s approval rating dropped significantly since the college’s March survey.
According to the poll:
That marks a decline from March, when 39 percent gave Trump a positive approval rating.
The poll also found declining support for the Trump administration’s handling of several issues, including:
Approval of the administration’s handling of inflation fell from 31 percent in October to 17 percent in the June poll.
In congressional preference, Democrats led Republicans by 12 points, 47 percent to 35 percent, in voters’ preferences for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Video below: Approval of Trump administration’s handling of inflation falls
The poll found that many voters continue to hold negative views of the federal government’s accountability and transparency.
Compared with 2021, the share of voters who strongly disagree that the federal government has little corruption rose from 57 percent to 73 percent, while the share who strongly disagree that government operations are open and transparent increased from 44 percent to 62 percent.
Franklin & Marshall College said the poll was conducted June 8-14, 2026, by its Center for Opinion Research.
Methodology highlights include:
The college said results were weighted by age, gender, education, geography, vote history and party registration.
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