Midterms Approach: Democrats Hold 8-Point Lead in Polls

By Jennifer Agiesta, Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN

(CNN) – With less than 100 days left before the midterms, voters are pushing for significant changes in Congress and turning to the Democratic Party for that change.

According to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, Democrats lead Republicans by 8 points on the generic ballot among registered voters. They also maintain a strong edge in voter enthusiasm, with a 20-point advantage among those who say they are extremely motivated to vote. More Americans believe that if Democrats gain control of Congress this November, it would benefit the country (38%) compared to those who think it would harm it (33%), while 29% say it wouldn’t make much difference.

Reflecting the desire for substantial change in Washington, most voters feel that Congress would be better off if many current members were voted out this fall. This sentiment is significantly higher than what was felt prior to the Democratic wave election during the Iraq War in 2006.

Voter frustration with Washington is evident through negative perceptions of both parties and their congressional leaders. There’s a widespread belief that neither party is addressing economic issues enough-issues that remain top concerns for voters.

However, Republicans appear to be faring worse on this front: 63% of Americans feel the GOP isn’t focusing adequately on cost-of-living problems, compared to 52% who think Democrats aren’t doing enough either.

Now by a margin of 10 points, Americans view Democrats as more likely than Republicans to be “the party of change,” which marks a shift from last spring when Republicans held a 7-point edge on this measure. The slight Republican advantage regarding being seen as “the party that can get things done” has also decreased over the past year. Meanwhile, about half of the public believes neither party fits these descriptions well.

Democrats Seek Change Within Their Party

Democrats and those leaning towards them show strong eagerness for transformation within their own party. Almost six in ten Democratic-aligned individuals think their party needs major changes or even complete reform.

Moreover, those aligning with the Democratic Party now express greater closeness to it compared to when President Donald Trump began his second term-31% now versus 23% back in January 2025.

Individuals seeking change are more inclined to support younger candidates and new leadership while advocating for stronger opposition against Trump rather than moving further left or right. Some believe shifts toward either side would be improvements.

The strongest unifying force among Democrats remains opposition toward Trump; it’s currently more potent than any loyalty he inspires within the GOP. Seventy percent of Democratic-aligned voters indicate their vote will serve as an opposition message against him, while only 41% of GOP-aligned voters say theirs will show support.

Six out of ten Democrats and independents leaning Democratic report they’d be unhappy if their party nominated someone backing key Trump policies-this concern is notably higher compared to objections towards candidates with aggressive attitudes or older ages. In contrast, only 18% of Republican-aligned adults express discontent over a candidate opposing significant Trump policies.

Republicans Face Trump’s Influence

Despite some decline in Trump’s support within the GOP ranks, currently only 56% of Republicans and Republican-leaners believe he positively impacts the party; that’s down from earlier this year when it was at 67%.

Yet Republicans and Republican-leaning independents aren’t as eager for internal changes as Democrats are; around one-third think their party needs major reforms. This feeling is notably stronger among non-MAGA members:46% who don’t identify with Make America Great Again movement want significant shifts compared to just 17% who do identify with it.

MAGA supporters and Republican-leaners are about twice as likely as other Republicans to assert that Trump has had beneficial effects on the party and much less likely (about one-quarter) to acknowledge Biden’s victory in the previous election.

Views on Israel Change Across Parties

Most adults aligned with Democrats wouldn’t mind if their party endorsed a candidate supporting cuts in aid to Israel; however most Republicans prefer not having such candidates within their ranks. Still, there’s no unanimous agreement within either side regarding this issue.

Age plays an important role here: Younger democratic supporters under age forty-five are twenty-two points more likely than older ones to express excitement about such candidates. Similarly young republican supporters have shown they’re twenty-three points more open-minded compared with their older counterparts concerning this matter.

Mixed Messages Leading Up To Midterms

Democrats have been trying hard to highlight fighting corruption as part of their midterm agenda; yet while some examples they’ve cited-including Trump’s financial gains during his presidency-are highly unpopular among people overall nearly half claim neither side actively addresses corruption issues adequately enough themselves.’

As Republican strategies emphasize culture war matters Americans find themselves almost equally divided expressing views like saying GOP focuses excessively on race/gender topics (31%) just shy away from claiming Dems spend too much time there too(36%).

The-CNN-Wire
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CNN ‘ s Edward Wu contributed to this report.

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