U.S. Midterms 2026: What Do the Results Mean for Canada?

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections have captured the attention of Canadians, with many viewing the outcome positively for Canada’s interests.

According to our latest survey, conducted from November 6 to 9, 2026, Canadians are largely satisfied with the election results and optimistic about their potential implications for Canada. However, their broader perceptions of the United States remain more divided.

• 72% of Canadians consider the U.S. midterm election results good news for Canada, compared with 8% who see them as bad news.

• 66% are pleased with the election results, while 7% are disappointed.

• 48% believe the results will make it easier for Canada to negotiate favourable trade terms with the United States, compared with 7% who expect negotiations to become more difficult.

• 63% followed the U.S. midterm elections closely, including 24% who followed them very closely.

• As it stands, 38% of Canadians consider the United States an enemy country, while 27% view it as neutral and 20% as an ally.

Canadians appear to be viewing the U.S. midterm results partly through the lens of what they could mean for Canada.

This positive outlook is particularly strong in Quebec, where 79% consider the results good news for Canada, compared with 60% in Alberta. Canadians aged 55 and older are also more likely to share this view (79%) than those aged 18 to 34 (66%) or 35 to 54 (67%).

Interestingly, Canadians who consider the United States an enemy are more likely to be satisfied with the election results (80%) than those who view it as an ally (54%).

In other words, Canadians do not necessarily need to have a positive opinion of the United States to welcome the outcome of its elections. How they feel about the country and how they feel about the election results are not always the same.

While nearly half of Canadians believe the election results could make trade negotiations easier, others are more cautious. Three in ten (30%) expect no change in the level of difficulty, while 16% say they do not know enough about the results to assess their potential impact.

Optimism is somewhat stronger in Quebec, where 53% believe the results will make it easier for Canada to negotiate favourable trade terms. That outlook is less common in Manitoba and Saskatchewan (38%), where residents are also more likely to anticipate greater difficulty (16%).

Canadians of different ages also see things differently. Those aged 55 and older are more inclined to expect negotiations to remain neither easier nor more difficult (37%), while younger Canadians aged 18 to 34 are more likely to say they do not know enough about the results to have an opinion (21%).

Overall, Canadians are more likely to anticipate an improvement than a setback in trade negotiations, although a considerable proportion expect little change or remain uncertain. These expectations offer a snapshot of public sentiment following the election, rather than an indication of how future negotiations will unfold.

Canadians’ views of the United States have shifted somewhat since our August 31, 2026, survey. The proportion who consider the country neutral has increased by five percentage points, from 22% to 27%, while those who view it as an enemy have declined from 41% to 38%.

The way Canadians perceive their southern neighbour also varies considerably by age. Among those aged 55 and older, 45% consider the U.S. an enemy, compared with 29% of Canadians aged 18 to 34. Younger Canadians are also more inclined to view the country as neutral, with 41% taking this position.

Regional differences tell a similar story. In Quebec, 44% of respondents consider the United States an enemy, compared with 31% in Atlantic Canada.

Although perceptions have become somewhat less negative since August, Canadians remain divided in how they view the United States. Their generally positive reaction to the midterm results therefore does not necessarily translate into a more favourable view of the country itself.

Download our full report for additional findings and detailed demographic and regional breakdowns.

This online survey was conducted from November 6 to 9, 2026, among 1,527 Canadians aged 18 and older, recruited through Leger’s LEO panel and could complete the survey in English or French.

Results were weighted according to age, gender, mother tongue, region, education and the presence of children in the household to reflect the Canadian population.

As this survey used a non-probability sample, a margin of error cannot be calculated. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.