Most Indiana voters said the state is on the “wrong track” and expressed growing frustration with their political choices — including unfavorable views of top elected officials and both major parties — according to a new statewide poll released Tuesday.
The survey of 604 registered voters, conducted last week by North Star Opinion Research, on behalf of Independent Indiana, shows President Donald Trump, Gov. Mike Braun and Secretary of State Diego Morales all with negative favorability ratings.
Trump was viewed favorably by 42% of Hoosiers and unfavorably by 49%. Braun fared worse, with 24% favorable and 43% unfavorable, while 22% had no opinion and 11% had never heard of him.
Morales was viewed favorably by 5%; 17% unfavorable — with 21% offering no opinion and 57% saying they’d never heard of him.
Morales faces two Republican opponents already and Democrat Beau Bayh recently announced his candidacy for the office. Bayh has already raised $100,000 in large donations, including $50,000 from Michael Browning, a central Indiana developer. Morales had about $900,000 on hand when he filed his June 30 campaign finance report.
More than half of Hoosier respondents — including Republicans, Democrats and independents — were reportedly “dissatisfied” with the choices of candidates on their ballots in state elections, overall.
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Fifty-three percent of all respondents said Indiana is on the “wrong track,” while just 34% believe Indiana is headed in the right direction.
Views were split along party lines, however: 63% of Republicans said Indiana is moving in the right direction, compared with only 28% of independents and 15% of Democrats.
The mixed-mode survey — which used a blend of live phone interviews and text-to-web responses — carries a margin of error of 3.99 percentage points.
Last week, Independent Indiana, which supports independent candidates throughout the state, released findings early on redistricting, finding that 53% of all respondents opposed drawing congressional maps early, compared with 34% who support it. Opposition cut across party lines, including among the GOP — 59% of Republican respondents said they support a mid-cycle map redraw, and 25% were opposed.
Republican lawmakers weigh whether to call a special session for redistricting, following Vice President JD Vance’s return visit to Indiana to rally support for the effort. Lawmakers are expected to discuss the proposal further this week.
Voters ‘dissatisfied’ with choices and parties
The results mark a continued cooling in Hoosiers’ opinions of top officials since Morning Consult carried out polling this summer, when Trump’s approval stood several points higher among Indiana voters,
As of mid-August, 51% of Hoosiers approved of Trump while 45% disapproved, according to earlier polling.
Tuesday’s North Star survey additionally showed about half of Hoosier voters said they are “dissatisfied” with the choices of candidates available in Indiana elections — including 26% of Republicans, 71% of Democrats and 61% of independents.
Both state parties were viewed more negatively than positively. Just 33% view the Indiana Republican Party favorably (45% unfavorable), and 25% view the Indiana Democratic Party favorably (43% unfavorable).
Nearly 70% of survey respondents further said the two-party system “leaves out the views of too many people,” compared with just 21% who think it does a good job representing most Hoosiers.
Unite America poll shows more opposition to redistricting
Another new poll, released Monday by Unite America, also measured how Hoosiers view Indiana’s state and federal officials.
For example, Trump drew a 47% favorable rating overall, and a 78% favorable rating among Republicans, while Braun posted 32% favorable overall, with 53% of Republican respondents favorable.
The Indiana Legislature was viewed favorably 29% of all respondents, and 48% by Republicans; Morales was viewed favorably by 9% of all respondents, and 14% by Republicans; Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith was viewed favorably by 9% of all respondents, and 16% by Republicans; former Gov. Eric Holcomb was viewed favorably by 36% of all respondents, and 49% by Republicans; U.S. Sen. Todd Young was viewed favorably by 27% of all respondents, and 46% by Republicans; and U.S. Sen. Jim Banks was viewed favorably by 21% of all respondents, and 37% by Republicans.
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Unite America also reported mounting resistance to redistricting.
The survey, conducted by 3D Strategic Research from Oct. 7–9, included 500 registered voters and 450 Republican primary voters. It found that 44% of Hoosiers oppose mid-decade redistricting, compared with 31% in support.
After respondents heard arguments from both sides, opposition jumped to 69%, with only 21% still in favor.
Just 10% of respondents overall — and 17% of GOP primary voters — said the governor and legislature should call a special session to redraw the maps.
“Voters across Indiana — including a majority of Republicans — are sick of partisan games that put party over country,” said Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America. “If lawmakers want to build trust, they’d be wise to focus on issues that directly affect Hoosiers’ everyday lives, instead of wasting taxpayer dollars to further gerrymander Indiana’s congressional districts, which are already among the least competitive in the country.”
The Unite America poll also found most voters oppose a GOP proposal to close Indiana’s primaries to registered party members only. Initially, 52% opposed the change, but after hearing arguments from both sides, opposition surged to 77% — including 66% of Republican primary voters.
“Every voter should have the freedom to cast a ballot in every taxpayer-funded election,” Troiano said. “I’m not surprised Indiana voters don’t want to give up that right.”
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
