Georgia poll once again shows tightest races rest on Voters Over 50

Published in RINewsToday on July 27, 2026

With just over three months until the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, control of both the U.S. House and Senate chambers could hinge on the gray vote—Americans age 50 and older—one of the nation’s most reliable voting blocs.

That was the key takeaway message delivered during AARP’s July 23 virtual media briefing, where the Washington, D.C.-based organization released the findings of its latest bipartisan battleground-state survey examining Georgia’s closely watched and contested governor’s and U.S. Senate races.

According to AARP, Georgia is the second state in its 2026 battleground polling series, following Ohio, whose survey was released on June 25. Additional surveys are scheduled for Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Texas to be released before the upcoming midterm elections. The bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward (R) and Impact Research (D) was commissioned to conduct these surveys.

The Georgia poll findings suggest that voters age 50 and older are once again poised to play a very decisive role in determining the state’s election outcomes in one of the nation’s premier battleground states.

In Georgia’s May 19 primary election, voters age 50 and older cast 68% of all ballots. The survey also found that 88% of voters age 50 and older rated themselves a “10” on a 10-point motivation-to-vote scale, compared with 62% of voters under age 50. These findings reinforce a long-established demographic trend: older Americans remain among the nation’s most dependable and motivated voters and are likely to have a significant impact on the November election.

The Power of the Gray Vote

“Voters age 50 and older will decide this November’s Georgia races,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer, in announcing the poll’s release. “Candidates who speak directly to the issues these voters care about most—including rising prices, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and lowering health care costs—will have the greatest opportunity to earn their support,” she explained.

During the nearly 30-minute morning briefing, AARP Georgia State Director Vanessa Payne joined Republican pollster Bob Ward of Fabrizio Ward and Democratic pollster Matt Hogan of Impact Research to discuss the poll’s findings and what they reveal about the priorities of older Georgia voters. Jen Jones, AARP’s Vice President of Government Affairs, participated during the Q&A to address questions, particularly around Social Security and retirement security, drawing on broader AARP research beyond the Georgia polls. Ilse Zuniga, AARP’s Director of External Relations, moderated this briefing.

According to the new AARP poll, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms leads Republican Rick Jackson, 48% to 46%, in the governor’s race, within the poll’s margin of error. Age remains one of the race’s defining dividing lines. Jackson leads by 13 percentage points among voters age 50 and older, driven by strong support from voters age 65 and older, while Bottoms holds a 23-point advantage among voters under age 50.

The survey also examined Georgia’s competitive U.S. Senate race, one which could prove critical in determining which party controls the Senate. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff leads Republican Rep. Mike Collins, 52% to 43%. Ossoff enjoys a 30-point advantage among voters under age 50 and a narrow lead among voters ages 50 to 64, while Collins holds a 24-point advantage among voters age 65 and older. The poll’s findings found that age 50 and older remain a key swing constituency, while Ossoff leads among swing voters age 50 and older by 23 percentage points.

Opening the media briefing, Payne emphasized that AARP’s mission is not to predict election winners or tell voters how to cast their ballots.

“Our mission isn’t to tell people how to vote or who will win,” Payne said. “It’s to ensure that the priorities of Georgia’s voters age 50 and older, the largest and most reliable voting bloc in our state, are part of the conversation throughout the election season.”

Payne remarked that Georgia has become one of the nation’s most competitive battleground states, where narrow margins often decide statewide elections.

“One in eight voters over 50 are swing voters, making them one of the most influential voting blocs in this election,” she observed. “Georgians are focused on key issues affecting their daily lives—from protecting Social Security and Medicare to managing the rising cost of living. Candidates who understand those priorities will be best positioned to earn their votes,” she added.

Although older voters represent every political persuasion, Payne noted that they share many of the same concerns.

“What unites them isn’t party affiliation,” she said. “It’s a shared focus on protecting their financial security, maintaining their health and being able to live as independently as possible as they age.”

Democratic strategist Matt Hogan agreed with Payne that voters age 50 and older are likely to determine the outcome of Georgia’s upcoming midterm elections.

“Voters 50-plus will be the deciders in the Georgia election,” Hogan predicted. “The share who say they are extremely motivated to vote is 26 percentage points higher among voters 50-plus than among voters under 50,” he said.

Hogan also pointed to a significant shift in voter sentiment on the generic congressional ballot.

“Democrats now lead by a seven-point margin, with that shift especially pronounced among independents, who now favor Democrats by an 18-point margin on the generic ballot,” he said, noting “That’s a 26-point swing from 2024.”

“It’s Social Security & Medicare, Stupid”

Turning to the issues driving older voters, Republican strategist Bob Ward stressed that financial security remains at the center of their concerns. “Seniors, those voters 65 and older, are equally concerned about immigration and protecting Social Security and Medicare, which are very much economic issues for older voters,” Ward explained.

“More than two-thirds of seniors tell us that Social Security makes up a major part of their income. It’s a big deal,” he added. “The importance of Social Security continues to rise to the top and will be just as influential on older voters this fall as rising prices,” he says.

Ward also noted broad bipartisan support for lowering prescription drug costs through Medicare.

“Fighting to lower prescription drug prices by expanding Medicare’s drug price negotiations is a winner on both sides of the political aisle,” Ward said, noting that 87 % of voters say they would be more likely to support a candidate who expands Medicare drug negotiations.

The poll found that among voters age 50 and older, 48% said Social Security is or will become a major source of household income. An overwhelming 92% said they would be more likely to support a candidate who will ensure they receive the Social Security benefits they earned through a lifetime of work.

Reflecting national polling trends, the survey findings indicated that grocery prices remain the affordability issue weighing most heavily on older Georgians.

“Voters in Georgia worry about the price of groceries more than any other issue, and that concern cuts across every political and demographic subgroup,” Ward said.

AARP’s poll also found respondents expressed a growing concern about the impact of expanding artificial intelligence data centers on household utility bills. Seventy-five percent expressed concern that new AI data centers could increase residential electric rates, while 85% said policymakers should ensure those costs are not passed on to residential utility customers.

A Final Note…

AARP’s Georgia battleground poll sends a clear message to candidates running for the U.S. Senate and Congress: older voters remain one of the nation’s most reliable and influential voting blocs. They vote consistently, they are highly motivated, and they are focused on issues that directly affect their financial security and quality of life.

AARP notes that in every election since 2002—the first year voting data by age became available—Americans age 65 and older have voted at higher rates than younger age groups.

Protecting Social Security and Medicare, lowering prescription drug costs, keeping groceries affordable, and controlling rising utility bills are not simply campaign talking points. For many older American voters, they are everyday concerns that will influence how they will cast their ballots in November.

Political observers have long referred to Social Security as the “third rail” of American politics. The phrase comes from the electrified third rail that powers many rail systems—touch it, and the consequences can be fatal. In politics, this metaphor suggests that proposals perceived as threatening Social Security can carry equally serious political consequences. While people usually attribute the phrase to U.S. Sen.Tip O’Neill, William Safire documented in The New York Times that O’Neill’s chief counsel, Kirk O’Donnell, actually coined it.

As voters in Georgia, Ohio, and the other battleground states head to the polls this November, the 2026 midterm elections may once again test whether Social Security remains America’s political third rail. When the dust settles, we’ll see whether older voters reward candidates who they believe will protect Social Security and Medicare—or reject those they believe will weaken these programs.

AARP’s Georgia battleground poll, conducted by the bipartisan team of Fabrizio Ward (R) and Impact Research (D), surveyed 1,060 likely Georgia voters between July 13 and July 16, 2026, using live telephone interviews and SMS-to-web methodology. According to the pollsters, the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

For more information, contact Kate Bridges at kbridges@aarp.org.

Additional information about AARP’s 2026 battleground polling series is available at https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/voter-research/politics/2026-midterm-election-polls/?msockid=31611274a2d760231f7a0578a3f86192.

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Combatting Loneliness Through Connection and Community Engagement

Published in RINewsToday on December 15, 2025

On April 30, 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy published an essay in The New York Times, announcing the impending release of U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory report titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” In this essay he talked about his own personal struggles with loneliness and called loneliness a public health crisis and advocated for strengthening social connections to combat it.

On May 3, 2023, Murthy released a 81-page report revealing that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning late 2019, nearly half of U.S. adults were experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. This report detailed serious physical and mental health risks resulting from being lonely, with a mortality effect equivalent to smoking as many as 15 cigarettes daily. The Surgeon General also proposed a national strategy to address this issue.

Almost two years and seven months later, AARP releases a new report, “Disconnected: The Escalating Challenge of Loneliness Among Adults 45+.” The 57-page study found that 40% of U.S. adults aged 45 and older are now experiencing loneliness, up from 35% in both 2018 and 2010. Additionally, the report noted a shift in gender loneliness trends, too: men are now more likely to report being lonely than women (42% vs. 37%), reversing the 2018 trend where men (34%) and women (36%) reported nearly equal levels of loneliness.

Researchers also found that loneliness is most prevalent among adults in their 40s and 50s, with 46% of adults ages 45-59 reporting loneliness, compared to 35% of those aged 60 and older. This trend of loneliness decreasing with age has been consistent since AARP’s 2010 research study.

“In midlife, people often juggle careers, children, and caregiving responsibilities while their social circles shrink,” said Debra Whitman, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer, in a Dec. 3 statement announcing the release of the report. “These pressures can increase stress and reduce opportunities to meaningfully connect with others,” she added.

Key Predictors of Loneliness

The report identifies several key predictors of loneliness, including smaller social networks, mental health challenges, and fewer friendships. Forty-five percent of lonely individuals reported having fewer friends than they did five years ago, compared to 29% of adults age 45 and older overall. Men are more likely than women to report having no close friends (17% vs. 13%).

Technology also played a significant role in enhancing social connections, with nearly 6 in 10 adults aged 45+ (57%) relying on technology to stay connected with family and friends. This group generally has more close friends and is more likely to volunteer or participate in community groups, the findings suggest. However, for some, technology can deepen isolation. Nearly 24% of lonely adults say technology has led to fewer close friendships. At the same time, 23% of lonely adults express interest in AI technologies for companionship, compared to 15% of adults 45+ overall.

“This research underscores the importance of staying connected with family, friends, and the broader community. Solid social networks aren’t just nice to have—they’re essential for combating loneliness and supporting overall well-being,” said Heather Nawrocki, Vice President of Fun & Fulfillment at AARP. “Nurturing relationships is just as critical to your health as eating well and exercising,” she added.

The report highlights that both lonely and non-lonely adults experience a sense of true belonging when they spend time with family, friends, and co-workers. This suggests an opportunity for individuals to strengthen existing relationships and form new connections.

Social connections can serve as a lifeline for both lonely and non-lonely individuals, the report notes. Simple acts such as reaching out to an old friend, starting a conversation with a stranger, checking in on a neighbor who has recently lost a loved one, or volunteering at your child’s or grandchild’s school can help address feelings of loneliness.

Rhode Island Insights on Loneliness

“This research mirrors what we hear every day from Rhode Islanders who call the Office of Healthy Aging,” says Maria Cimini, Director of the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging (RIOHA). Cimini explains that loneliness often surfaces quietly through stress, uncertainty, or a simple feeling of not knowing where to turn for help.

“The new AARP research reflects what RIOHA hears daily from older adults, caregivers, and families seeking help. Loneliness rarely presents itself as the first concern in a call,” Cimini says. “Instead, it often manifests as anxiety, caregiver stress, confusion, or simply a need to talk to someone who understands their situation.”

Cimini emphasizes that loneliness is not just an abstract condition but a complex social and health issue that intersects with caregiving, housing stability, transportation access, food security, disability, and mental health. “Calls to the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) often reveal people navigating major life transitions alone, such as the loss of a spouse, a new diagnosis, reduced mobility, or the isolation that comes with caregiving or retirement,” she says.

“Loneliness has a significant impact on health, and both loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognized as major social determinants of health,” says Maureen Maigret, policy advisor for SACRI and a board member of The Village Common of Rhode Island (TVCRI). TVCRI helps older adults remain independent and connected to their communities. Maigret highlighted that feedback from TVCRI members shows how critical the social connections provided by volunteers are for maintaining health and well-being.

AARP’s findings align with research from the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association, according to Elaine Rodino, Ph.D., a former president of the APA’s Division of Psychologists in Independent Practice. Rodino, a licensed psychologist practicing in Los Angeles and State College, Pennsylvania, stressed that loneliness is a subjective experience. “Some people who spend most of their time alone don’t feel lonely, while others with regular social activity still report feeling lonely,” she explained.

“‘Alone in a crowd’ is an expression that captures the feeling of being surrounded by people yet still feeling isolated,” Rodino said, adding that this is true in online environments as well. “Some people engage with social media or chat groups, while others simply lurk, passively observing without interacting. These individuals often feel lonely, whereas those who actively engage are less likely to report the same experience.”

Rodino also pointed out that patients who identify as lonely may struggle to make social connections due to anxiety. “They may feel more comfortable staying home to avoid the discomfort of social engagement,” she said.

Deb Burton, Executive Director of RI Elder Info, offers a simple but important insight: “Too often, we confuse being alone with being lonely. Many people enjoy solitude, but loneliness is the painful feeling that our social connections aren’t fulfilling or adequate,” she said.

Burton explains that society has traded community for independence, and as a result, many people feel isolated. “Rebuilding community starts with simple acts of connection,” she says. “Volunteering is one of the most powerful ways to do this. When people give their time—whether through RI Elder Info or another local organization—they strengthen their own sense of belonging while supporting older adults and caregivers who rely on trusted information and human connection.”

Rhode Island Resources to Combat Loneliness

RI OHA’s approach focuses on connection, navigation, and community—not quick fixes, says Director Cimini, noting that this state office works to reduce isolation by helping people find services, relationships, and meaningful ways to stay engaged.

The state office supports older adults and adults with disabilities through a statewide network of programs that help counter loneliness and strengthen connection, including:

· Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC): A trusted entry point for information, counseling, and referrals.

· Senior Companion Program: Pairs trained volunteers with older adults who need regular companionship.

· Family Caregiver Support Program: Provides education, respite, counseling, and peer support for caregivers.

· Senior Centers and Community-Based Programs: Offering meals, wellness activities, and social engagement.

· Nutrition Programs: Congregate meal sites and home-delivered meals that offer nourishment and social contact.

· Volunteer and Civic Engagement Opportunities: Supporting older adults in staying connected through service and community contribution.

· SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): Provides one-on-one counseling to reduce stress and confusion around Medicare.

The Samaritans of Rhode Island

The AARP study puts a spotlight on an issue that is evolving and becoming more complicated as technologies, the economy, health care options and living situations change, says Executive Director Denise Panichas at the Samaritans of Rhode Island in Pawtucket.

According to Panichas, The Samaritans of Rhode Island (a suicide prevention resource center), loneliness is at the heart of every call to the agency’s anonymous, befriending line. In its forty-eight year history, the agency has trained a legion of more than 1,800 alumni and current volunteers to listen beyond the words for the isolation presented by every caller.

Panichas, who has served as executive director for over 24-years, says that those who feel hopeless, alone and suicidal often carry the belief, whether true or not, that they and their problems and emotions are a burden to family and friends. “The fear of being a burden too often quiets their voices at the very moment they most need to be heard,” she says.

“It’s important for readers to know, The Samaritans is not 911 nor are we 988,” adds Panichas, explaining that the phone lines are staffed by volunteers. “Our mission is not only suicide prevention education but to foster connection to our listening line that, if the caller wants, can be used as long as we are needed but is also available for a lifetime of support. We actually have callers who call every day just to check in or to say good night,” she says.

Says Panichas, “Our callers recognized the sincerity of our volunteers, who by the very act of volunteering, convey a message to our callers that their lives matter and they are not alone. It’s always a good day, when callers report back that after having the courage to talk a Samaritan volunteer, they found the strength to reconnect with family, friends and professionals.”

Emergency? Call 911. Need to Talk? Call The Samaritans of Rhode Island at 401.272.4044 or 1.800.365.4044. Learn more at www.samaritansri.org

To see OHA programs that help counter loneliness and promote social connections, go to www.oha.ri.gov

Tips on coping with the friendship recession

By Herb Weiss,

Published in RINewsToday on April 14, 2025

In the midst of the global pandemic, the May 21 American Perspective Survey (APS) revealed a significant shift in how Americans experience and maintain friendships. The findings, dubbed the “friendship recession,” showed that Americans—especially adult men—reported having fewer close friendships than in the past, talked to their friends less often, and relied less on them for personal support.

According to APS data, the percentage of U.S. adults who report having no close friends has quadrupled to 12% since 1990. Meanwhile, the number of those with ten or more close friends has dropped nearly threefold. For decades, Americans consistently spent about 6.5 hours per week with friends, but between 2014 and 2019, that number dropped to just four hours weekly.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, along an array of scientific research studies, confirmed that social isolation, loneliness, and difficulty forming or maintaining personal relationships take a toll on both mental and physical health—contributing to increased risks of depression, anxiety, heart disease, and even premature death.

Daniel Cox, director of the Survey Center on American Life, as well as media outlets such as The New York Times and scores of newspapers across the nation, Fox News, PBS, and online platforms, have helped to popularize the term “friendship recession” and raise awareness about its impact on society.

More recently, author and acclaimed podcaster Mel Robbins has brought this issue further into the cultural spotlight by connecting it to the everyday emotional struggles of adults trying to build and maintain meaningful friendships.

Robbins is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and a world-renowned expert on mindset, motivation, and behavior change, whose work has been translated into 50 languages. With millions of books sold, seven #1 Audible titles, and billions of video views.

Robbins, known for her TEDxSF talk “How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over,” and books such as The Let Them Theory, The 5 Second Rule, and The High 5 Habit, delves into the challenges of adult friendships in episode 262 of The Mel Robbins Podcast, which aired on February 10, 2025. titled Why Making Friends as an Adult Feels Impossible & What to Do About It.

The Challenge of Adult Friendships

Robbins observes that many adults feel lonely, isolated, or disconnected—frequently asking themselves, “Where did all my friends go?” She notes, “It does feel impossible to make adult friends.”

In the one-hour-and-seventeen-minute episode, Robbins introduces the concept of the “Great Scattering”—the period following college graduation when people begin pursuing different life paths, often relocating to other cities for work. Unlike childhood, where friendships are easily formed through school classrooms, on the sports field, or extracurriculars, adulthood lacks these built-in social environments.

According to Robbins, the friendship recession isn’t the result of personal shortcomings or antisocial tendencies, but rather the outcome of systemic factors. These include frequent relocations, job transitions, demanding work schedules, and prioritizing family life which can leave little time to nurture or form new friendships. As people age, increasing responsibilities further reduce the time available to build new social bonds.

Robbins also highlights a decline in church attendance, participation in social and civic clubs, and neighborhood gatherings reducing opportunities to meet potential friends. Meanwhile, she says that heavy reliance on social media and texting has further eroded face-to-face interactions, exacerbating the problem.

The Three Pillars of Friendship

Robbins outlines three key elements necessary for creating deep, lasting adult friendships:

1. Proximity: Physical closeness is essential for building bonds. Robbins cites an MIT study showing that proximity—how often you see or “bump into” someone—is the single most important factor in forming friendships. “To create great friendships, you’ve got to spend time with people,” she says.

2. Timing: Shared life stages and experiences—such as parenting, career demands, or health challenges—can support the growth of friendships. While workplace proximity might exist, friendships don’t always develop because “everybody’s all over the place and interested in different things,” Robbins explains.

3. Authenticity and Energy (the “Vibe”): Mutual energy or chemistry matters. “You either feel this thing with somebody or you don’t—and you can’t force it,” she says. “If the energy is off, it’s off.”

Building strong friendships takes time and effort, says Robbins. Research indicates that it takes about 50 hours of interaction to become casual friends, around 90 hours to become good friends, and more than 200 hours to become best friends.

She also encourages listeners to embrace her “Let Them Theory,” which promotes releasing control over others’ actions and focusing instead on your own responses. “This whole notion that you’ve got best friends for life—it’s a modern construct that actually sets us up to fail,” Robbins states. Adults, she says, must accept that people change, move on, and form new social circles. “Let them live their lives,” she advises. “Let them move, change, not invite you. Let them have a social life without you.”

Friendships may drift, and that’s okay. Robbins urges people not to take others’ actions personally and to focus instead on being the kind of friend they themselves would want.

Simple Tips for Making New Friends

“It’s on you to make time for friendships,” says Robbins. She offers several practical tips:

• Take initiative: Reach out with a simple message to reconnect or start a conversation.
• Be consistent: Regular interactions, even brief ones, help build trust and familiarity over time.
• Find common ground: Join clubs or groups aligned with your interests to meet like-minded individuals.
• Be open: Sharing personal experiences helps forge deeper bonds—but know that not every interaction will result in a lasting friendship, and that’s perfectly fine.

Robbins’ episode provides insight into why adult friendships can be difficult to maintain, along with tools to overcome these challenges. By following her strategies, individuals can counteract the effects of the friendship recession and cultivate meaningful connections.

To listen to Robbins’ podcast episode, Why Making Friends as an Adult Feels Impossible & What to Do About It, visit: https://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-262

The Mel Robbins Podcast releases two new episodes every Monday and Thursday, focusing on motivation, self-improvement, and overcoming obstacles—often grounded in Robbins’ personal experiences. To explore the full podcast library, now over 280 episodes, visit: www.melrobbins.com/podcast.

Robbins introduces The Let Them Theory, a book providing a groundbreaking approach to reclaiming your life by focusing on what you can control and releasing what you can’t. For book details and purchase info, go to https://www.melrobbins.com/letthemtheory.

Herb Weiss, LRI ‘12, is a Pawtucket-based writer who has covered aging, healthcare, and medical issues for over 45 years. To purchase his books, including Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly and its two sequels, visit herbweiss.com.

Herb Weiss

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