2026 Polling: Voters deeply concerned about private equity’s impacts and influence

The newest poll from the bipartisan polling team Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consultingi shows that voters across the political spectrum are concerned about private equity companies gaining control over large parts of the economy and want strong guardrails in place to protect people.
Voters are deeply concerned about the amount of control Wall Street and private equity have, and they want to limit their influence.

• Voters say Wall Street and the financial industry have too much control and influence over the economy.
• There is bipartisan agreement on the need for guardrails on Wall Street and private equity, and voters are overwhelmingly opposed to giving private equity special exemptions.
• Voters think that private equity control makes things like housing and healthcare worse and more expensive.
• Voters are very concerned about Wall Street and private equity taking control of key sectors of the economy, particularly healthcare and housing.

Voters say the financial industry has too much control over the economy

• Six in ten voters say Wall Street and the financial industry have too much control and influence over the economy, while 21% say they have the right amount of control, and only 3% say they don’t have enough.1
  • Voters across party lines and across every region and demographic think the financial industry’s influence is too high. Democrats are most likely to say Wall Street has too much influence (71%), followed by independents (62%) and Republicans (50%).

Voters want more guardrails for private equity, not special treatment

• Voters are overwhelmingly likely to agree with the need for guardrails for Wall Street firms like private equity to prevent short term profit maximization that cuts jobs and reduces the quality of goods and services. Two thirds agree with the need for guardrails while only 11% say private equity should get special exemptions because it creates jobs and keeps the economy moving.2
  • There is widespread bipartisan agreement, with Republicans (59%), independents (64%), and Democrats (78%) agreeing with the need for guardrails for private equity.

Voters see the dangers of private equity and do not agree that private equity should invest however it wants

• In a head-to-head argument, Democrats (64%) are more likely than independents (45%) or Republicans (42%) to say private equity makes human needs like housing and healthcare worse, but voters of all parties agree more with the statement critical of private equity rather than with the pro-private equity statement by substantial margins.3
  • Overall, just over half of voters (51%) agree with the view that private equity extracts maximum short-term profits while making things we need for a decent life more expensive and worse, while 20% agree with the view that private equity should be able to invest wherever it likes because it increases supply and makes markets more efficient. Another 10% agree with neither statement, and 20% aren’t sure.

Private equity controlling healthcare and housing causes concern.

• Voters are very concerned about Wall Street financial firms taking control of key sectors of the economy including healthcare and veterinary care (83% concerned, 60% strongly concerned), housing (81% concerned, 59% strongly concerned), and childcare (67% concerned, 46% strongly concerned).4
  • A majority of voters of all parties are very concerned about private equity controlling healthcare and housing.

1. When you think about the economy overall, do Wall Street and the financial industry have too much control and influence, is the amount about right, do they not have enough, or are you not sure?
2. Now here are two different statements about Wall Street firms and private equity. Please indicate which one is closer to your own view, even if neither is exactly right.
3. Now here are two different statements about Wall Street firms and private equity. Please indicate which one is closer to your own view, even if neither is exactly right.
4. Switching gears, here is a list of areas where Wall Street financial firms have been taking control of companies. For each one, please indicate how concerned you are, if at all, about Wall Street taking control of firms in that area of the economy? (*SPLIT SAMPLED)

i Methodology: Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consulting designed and administered this survey, which was conducted online from May 15-21, 2026. The survey reached a total of 1,000 likely November 2026 voters nationwide.
The sample was stratified by gender, age, region, race, party identification, presidential vote, and education level to reflect the demographic composition of likely voters nationwide. Where there were slight differences between our survey sample and the expected voting population, data were weighted accordingly.
The margin of error is +/- 3.1% for the full sample and larger for subgroups and split-sampled questions.
Numbers do not always add up to 100% due to rounding and refusals.