Report · Politics

Seven in ten say they're unlikely to ever run for office

Reading

Seven-in-ten Americans (70%) say running for political office is something they are unlikely to do, according to a Verasight survey conducted July 14-24, 2025.

Another 14% would not rule it out forever but currently have no interest, 13% say they might undertake a run if the opportunity presented itself, and just 3% definitely would like to run in the future.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Seven in ten say they're unlikely to ever run for office.

In general, which best characterizes your attitudes toward running for political office in the future?

  • It is something I am unlikely to do 69.9%
  • I would not rule it out forever, but I currently have no interest 13.5%
  • It is something I might undertake if the opportunity presented itself 13.3%
  • It is something I definitely would like to undertake in the future 3.3%

2025 · base n 494 · +/- 4.4%

EPOVB Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-059

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-07-14 → 2025-07-24
Base (unweighted)
494
Margin of error
+/- 4.4%
Module
EPOVB Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-059

Source

Citation

EPOVB Conference Omnibus Survey #2025-059, fielded July 14-24, 2025, N=494 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.4%.

https://verasight-epovb.tiiny.co

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.