Statewide Poll: Washingtonians Say Enough is Enough on Taxes, Homelessness, and Out-of-Touch Policies

A new statewide survey makes one thing crystal clear: Washingtonians feel like they’re being squeezed harder than ever by Olympia’s tax-and-spend machine, and they’re ready for change. Families across the state are struggling to keep up, and voters overwhelmingly believe government policies are holding them back instead of helping them get ahead.

TAXES

From the Napolitan News Service/RMG Research survey released this week, Nearly 8 in 10 voters said state taxes are simply too high, with many describing them as much too high. That frustration only deepened after this year’s record-shattering $12.5 billion package of tax hikes—the largest in Washington history. Add to that one of the nation’s highest gas taxes, steep estate and capital gains taxes, and new B&O tax on independent grocery stores, and it’s no wonder people feel trapped in a cycle where they work hard yet fall further behind. Washington families want relief, not more experiments with their wallets.

And voters aren’t buying the idea that more tax increases will somehow solve the state’s challenges. In fact, addressing rumors that Democrat lawmakers will be considering more tax increases in the new year, the vast majority (80%) want lawmakers to “wait and see” how the current hikes play out before even considering new ones.

The message couldn’t be clearer: it’s time for Olympia to tighten its own belt instead of raiding taxpayers again.

HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING

On homelessness, residents sent another powerful signal: The old era of “no strings attached” housing programs is over. Washingtonians believe compassion requires accountability. Over 90% (including 96% of Democrats) said treatment for addiction and mental health must be part of any real solution to homelessness.

Simply throwing money at housing without addressing the underlying crises of addiction and mental illness is not working—and the public knows it. A strong majority even favors ending programs that only provide housing and redirecting those funds to initiatives that couple shelter with treatment. This is a sharp rebuke of the status quo and a call for policies that actually change lives rather than enable cycles of dependency.

Housing affordability also loomed large in the poll. By a 15-point margin, Washington voters overwhelmingly said deregulation—reducing barriers to building more apartments and single-family homes—is a better path than rent control.

That’s a striking result given how often rent control is pushed as the “solution” in Seattle, Tacoma and in the legislature. Voters understand that more supply, not more red tape, is the only way to make homes affordable for working families.

FEDERAL SCHOOL FUNDING

One of the most surprising findings came on a cultural issue: girls’ sports. Faced with the choice between keeping federal funding for schools or allowing biological males to compete in girls’ athletics, nearly three-quarters of Washingtonians said schools should amend their policies to keep funding intact. Even 57% of self-identified Democrats felt this way.

Even more, 70% of overall respondents agreed that allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports undermines decades of progress made under Title IX. That response shows broad, bipartisan agreement on a topic where politicians often claim the public is divided.

Taken together, these results reveal a deep frustration across Washington. State voters feel overtaxed, underserved, and ignored. They want practical solutions that lower costs, enforce accountability, and protect fairness.

Here are some key findings from the polling:

• When asked about important issues “inflation and cost of living” and the economy were identified by the highest number of respondents, with 80 and 78% respectively.
• State taxes were labeled as too high by 77% of respondents. Only 1% said they were too low.
• The number of respondents that felt state taxes were too high increased to 82% after being reminded about the largest tax increase in state history being passed earlier this year.
• When told some lawmakers are discussing further tax hikes in 2026, 80% of respondents said lawmakers should wait to see how 2025’s tax hikes work out.
• When asked about President Trump’s executive order tying federal homelessness grants to the requirement that addiction treatment be offered, 80% of respondents said Washington should comply.

If the Governor and Democrat leaders in Olympia continue down its current path of higher taxes and failed programs, it will only deepen the divide between the political class and the people they’re supposed to represent. Washingtonians are speaking loudly—it’s time for leaders to listen.

The poll was conducted Sept. 5-9 by RMG Research, Inc. with responses from 800 Washington voters. Full results are available here.