Voters Favor Democrats in House Race as Trump Approval Rises
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday shows a 47-36% national preference for Democratic congressional candidates, though the margin has narrowed slightly since mid-October.
By Olivia Parker ·
With the November 3 midterm elections approaching, national sentiment has shifted slightly in favor of the Republican Party, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted through Monday.
President Donald Trump’s approval rating increased by one percentage point to 32%, a rise from the previous week’s record low. This modest improvement in public standing comes as Republicans seek to maintain their majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In a generic ballot question, 47% of registered voters indicated a preference for Democrats over Republicans for the House, compared with 36% who favored Republicans. Eleven percent of respondents said they were undecided. This 11-point gap is one point smaller than the margin recorded in a similar poll that closed on October 19.
When the survey accounted for undecided voters leaning toward a specific party, the national race appeared closer. Democrats held a nine-point lead, with 50% favoring their party versus 41% for Republicans. Among voters identified as likely to cast ballots, the preference for Democrats remained at nine points, 53% to 44%.
Economic concerns are driving much of the voter sentiment. Following the military strikes on Iran in February, which contributed to higher gasoline prices, inflation has risen. Seventy-three percent of polled adults stated that their cost of living is moving in the wrong direction. Consequently, 37% of voters now say Democrats have a better approach to the economy, while 33% favor the Republican stance, a reversal from pre-war polling data.
Political analysts generally view the House as more attainable for Democrats than the Senate. The latter requires winning more seats due to the structure of state-based representation. Meanwhile, enthusiasm for voting is higher among Democrats, with 46% reporting they are very enthusiastic about the midterms, compared to 30% of Republicans.
The online survey captured responses from 1,679 US adults, including 1,280 registered voters. The margin of error is 2 percentage points for all adults and 3 percentage points for registered voters.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
