The Monmouth University Polling Institute has built a reputation for careful state surveys, especially in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with growing national samples in midterm years.

Why analysts like Monmouth

Monmouth typically releases full crosstabs, age, education, party ID, and explains likely-voter screens in plain language. That makes it easier to see whether a lead comes from independents, soft partisans, or a particular region.

2026 relevance

With Senate control hinging on states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Maine, Monmouth's occasional battleground polls provide a check against partisan or campaign-sponsored surveys. When Monmouth and Fox News both show a race within the margin of error, treat it as genuinely close.

Caveats

Monmouth cannot poll every competitive race every week. Absence of a recent Monmouth survey does not mean a race is stable, it may simply not have been fielded yet.