# Five percent hold the key to Congress > Undecided voters say both parties have failed them. Cost of living will decide their votes and control of Congress. - Title: Five percent hold the key to Congress · NBC News | Shortify - Summary: Undecided voters say both parties have failed them. Cost of living will decide their votes and control of Congress. Five percent of voters remain undecided… - Keywords: undecided voters, 2026 midterms, cost of living, congress control, inflation, james morton, aidan valenzuela, donald trump, economy, politics, news, Five - Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/undecided-voters-want-hear-politics-desk-rcna601018 - Author: The Politics Desk - Published: 2026-10-01T21:07:24.472+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: undecided voters, 2026 midterms, cost of living, congress control, inflation, james morton, aidan valenzuela, donald trump, economy, politics, news ## Five percent hold the balance Five percent of voters surveyed in a national NBC News poll said they were unsure which party they wanted controlling Congress after this year's elections. Their votes could decide control and seat counts. ## Morton leans third party James Morton, a sixty-seven-year-old retired truck driver in Colorado, said Democrats have gone too far to the left towards socialism while Republicans are globalists who don't care about working-class people. He is leaning toward backing third-party candidates. > gone too far to the left towards socialism ## Cost of living is everything Morton said his decision will come down to one thing: the high cost of living. He and his wife have been buying different groceries as they navigate high prices. The number one thing is getting the cost of things back down. > The No. 1 thing is getting the cost of things back down, inflation under control, and pretty much that's it ## Little loyalty to either party These undecided voters feel little loyalty to either party. Many said that is in part because they are not sure either party understands what is important to them. Almost every one said high costs are top of mind. ## The polling split In the NBC News poll, fifty percent of voters said they wanted Democrats to win control of Congress in the midterms, while forty-five percent said they wanted Republicans to have control. The undecided five percent could tip the balance either way. ## Voters rank their priorities In the latest NBC News survey, voters ranked cost of living and inflation as the most important issues facing the country, followed by government corruption and threats to democracy. Economic anxiety dominates voter concerns heading into the midterms. ## Valenzuela weighs Texas races Aidan Valenzuela, a nineteen-year-old security worker in Texas, said he has not decided whom to support in his state's hotly contested races for governor and the Senate. He said he does not like how expensive things are. > I don't like how expensive things are, and I don't think anyone does ## Trump admits messaging failure President Donald Trump said he has done a very bad job of explaining to the American people why he thinks the economy is doing well. It was a rare acknowledgment from Trump that he has failed at anything. > a very bad job ## The economy disconnect There is a disconnect between Trump's view of the economy and the sentiments of most Americans. Interviews with voters and public opinion surveys show Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy broadly and are unhappy with his inability to curb inflation. ## Tariffs and war drive prices up Trump's tariff agenda and the Iran war have put upward pressure on prices for everything from gas to groceries. The disconnect threatens to further erode Trump's credibility with voters who feel the squeeze of rising prices and interest rates. ## Trump's messaging challenge With the midterms little more than a month away, Trump's challenge is to tell voters both that he hears what they are saying about the economy and that it is better than they think it is, without blaming them. ## Trump is his own messenger Trump pointed his finger at White House aides, arguing they were not doing a good enough job of selling his record. His press secretary left and there is no imminent plan to replace her. Trump is his own chief message-maker. ## Delivery or policy failure It will be up to voters to decide whether the failure is in Trump's delivery or in his policy. The undecided five percent will ultimately determine whether his message reaches them before the midterms. ## Key takeaway Five percent of voters remain undecided on which party should control Congress after the 2026 elections, with cost of living as their deciding issue.