A new poll signals that Democrats are far more energized than Republicans about participating in next year’s midterms.
However, deeply negative perceptions of the Democratic Party and its officeholders raise questions about the party’s ability to capitalize on that energy.
A CNN poll, conducted by SSRS, found that 72% of Democratic voters say they are extremely motivated to vote in next year’s congressional election. That's 22 points above Republican voters.
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The poll also indicated that Americans more broadly are more motivated to vote in the 2026 midterms than before the 2022 midterms.
However, the poll reported that just 28% of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably, marking the lowest point for Democrats in the history of CNN’s polling, which dates back to 1992.
The poll found that 33% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party. That is the lowest mark in the poll since January 2021, when 32% of Americans had a favorable opinion of the GOP.
About 41% of those polled said Democrats in Congress deserve reelection, compared to 46% who say they don't. The poll also indicated that 40% of voters think Republicans in Congress deserve another term, compared to 60% who think they don't.
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But people view their own members of Congress a little differently. About 51% of Americans think their member of Congress has earned another term, while 48% think their representative should not be reelected.
Historically, the party that is not in control of the White House generally gains seats in midterm elections. In the last five midterm elections, the party not in control of the White House gained seats in the House.
