Voters in key battleground states appear less inclined to support Senate Democrats who advocate for shutting down the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A survey conducted by Plymouth Union Public Survey focused on voters in four pivotal battleground states for the 2026 midterm elections: Georgetown, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. According to Primus, while Democrats currently have some advantages, pushing for a DHS shutdown could “backfire significantly and decrease Democratic support.”
“When voters learned that Democrats opposed a plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security, support for the shutdown fell below 35 percent in all surveyed states. There’s a notable concern about the shutdown’s impacts, particularly regarding defunding the Coast Guard and federal law enforcement agencies,” the voting memo from Plymouth stated.
The findings indicated that nearly 75 percent of voters in these battleground areas are worried that the Democrats’ move to defund DHS has led to the reduction of funding for almost half of federal law enforcement personnel across the country.
Plymouth expressed that defunding DHS could be a significant liability for Senate Democratic candidates, especially for those like D-Ga., who supported the shutdown and will now need to justify this unpopular decision.
When asked if they would be less inclined to vote for a Democratic candidate favoring the DHS shutdown, responses included:
- 49 percent of Georgians indicated they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate.
- 49 percent of North Carolinians felt similarly.
- 52 percent of Ohio voters expressed the same sentiment.
- 51 percent of Texans were also less likely to support those candidates.
Some Senate Democrats appear to recognize they have vulnerabilities regarding immigration and law enforcement issues. For instance, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) remarked, “I think we’ve typically been viewed as weak on immigration.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) stated that “America has suffered” due to the DHS shutdown.
“I voted to support these dedicated workers. Shutting down DHS won’t aid ICE or any reforms, it will only harm employees, and in the end, America loses,” he added.
DHS Secretary Krissi Noem pointed out, “This is the third time during the 119th Congress that Democrats have closed down the department. Such a shutdown has serious ramifications—it’s not only about the DHS employees working without pay and their families but also poses a risk to our national security.”
Plymouth Union conducted this survey with 800 likely general election voters from February 15 to 19, with a margin of error of 3.46 percentage points.
