SPONSORED
With midterm elections looming, we checked the pulse of 2026 on all things political and Princeton. The frosh skew left in their politics, often emphatically supporting a wide variety of liberal policy ideas. When it comes to campus questions, a great many lack the necessary information to render a verdict, but we nevertheless inquired about Bicker, the Honor Code, and University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83. Read on to learn about the politics and preferences of the 2026 body politic.
SPONSORED
In keeping with previous polling at Princeton and on college campuses across the country, over two-thirds of respondents indicated they were somewhat or very left-leaning, while 11.4 percent lean rightward. 37.6 percent of first-years view Joe Biden somewhat or very favorably, a number which almost exactly mirrored the national average when the survey closed in July. Though they’re hardly wild for Biden, few prefer former President Donald Trump — only 5.9 percent hold a favorable opinion.
As they had yet to pledge their honor that they had not violated the Honor Code (on any examination), frosh were somewhat split on their view of suspension as a punishment for violation of the Honor Code — 57.8 percent indicated that they felt neutrally or somewhat favorably about the issue and another 10.5 percent lacked sufficient information. Bicker garnered similar ambivalence while 60.4 percent of students stood in favor of University divestment from fossil fuels, with 21 percent indicating that they needed more info.
SPONSORED
In a world fraught with political division, the incoming class stands relatively united on a number of hot topic issues. Over three-quarters of respondents indicated support for accessible abortion, the Black Lives Matter movement, same-sex marriage, and expanding gun control. The Class of 2026 split most noticeably over matters regarding transgender athletes and affirmative action in college admissions, with neither issue getting a definitive 50 percent of respondents seeing a stance as favorable or unfavorable.
The ‘Prince’ asked first-years about a spate of high-profile Princeton alumni in government and business. With 84.3 percent of first-years reporting a favorable view of the former first lady, Michele Obama ’85 boasted the greatest popularity of the bunch while Sen. Ted Cruz ’92 (R-Texas) garnered a favorability rating of just 7.1 percent. However, when it came to Princeton’s alumni on the Supreme Court or its own President of the University, respondents were more likely to say they did not have enough information to weigh in – nearly 50 percent said so both for Samuel Alito ’72 and Elena Kagan ’81, and 55.6 said so for President Christopher Eisgruber ’83.