EXCLUSIVE: AI Safety Could Decide House Majority And Beyond, Poll Shows
Republicans' failure to embrace artificial intelligence safety could cost them dearly during the midterm elections and beyond, according to a poll exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Sean Moran · Nov 2, 2026 · 6 min read
Republicans’ failure to embrace artificial intelligence safety could cost them dearly during the midterm elections and beyond, according to a poll exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
A Guidant Polling and Strategy survey issued a dire warning for Republicans in 21 swing districts who fail to champion AI safety issues favored by a supermajority of voters. It stated that voters trust Democrats more than Republicans on AI regulation — and they would be much more likely to vote for a congressional candidate that supports stronger policies on the issue.
Republicans could have an even more uphill battle after the midterms should Democrats “own” AI safety, the polling memo dated Oct. 29 explained.
“Common-sense AI guardrails are among the rare issues that unite voters across party lines, and battleground voters are clear that they will reward candidates who support them,” the polling memo obtained by the DCNF stated.
“Right now, Democrats have the early edge on trust largely because Republicans have been quiet, not because voters have rejected the GOP’s approach,” the memo continued.
Battleground voters trust Democrats over Republicans to handle regulating AI by a seven-point margin — or 43 to 36 percent — with 21 percent saying they trust neither party or remain unsure, according to the poll. Independent voters trust Democrats by a 37 to 26 percent margin, while 37 percent have not picked a side.
The survey found 80 percent of voters would be more likely to back a congressional candidate that backed “common-sense” regulations, including 49 percent who would be much more likely to vote for that candidate.
More than two-thirds of Republicans, Democrats and independent voters would be more likely to vote for candidate that backs AI guardrails, per the poll.
In contrast, opposing regulations on AI would harm a candidate’s chances, with 66 percent of voters saying they would be less likely to back a candidate who opposes AI guardrails, the poll found.