Democratic Party Approval Hits Record Lows, But Polls Suggest Gains In 2026 Midterms

The Democratic Party’s favorable ratings have fallen to record lows, according to two new national polls by CNN and NBC News. However, polls and history suggest that the divided opposition party is set to make key gains in the 2026 midterms, likely winning control of the House and stopping Republicans from keeping full control of Congress needed to push Trump’s agenda.

The Democratic Party is facing political challenges after setbacks in last November’s elections. Republicans regained control of the White House and Senate and held on to their narrow majority in the House. Republicans also made inroads with black, Hispanic and younger voters—groups that have traditionally been a core part of the Democratic base.

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A CNN poll released on Sunday shows that only 29% of respondents view the Democratic Party favorably, while 54% have an unfavorable opinion. This marks a four-point drop since early January, prior to President Donald Trump‘s second term, and a significant 20-point decline from January 2021, just before Joe Biden‘s presidency began. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 63% expressed a favorable view of the party, down from 72% in January and 81% four years ago, at the start of Biden’s administration.

A similar trend was observed in a national poll released on Sunday by NBC News. Only 27% of registered voters expressed a positive view of the Democratic Party, marking its lowest rating in NBC News polling since 1990. The survey was conducted from March 7-11.

Both polls were taken before 10 Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, decided last week to support a GOP-backed federal spending bill that prevented a government shutdown.

The NBC News poll showing the Democratic Party’s record-low approval also reveals that Democrats lead the 2026 generic congressional ballot by 48% to 47%. This question, usually asked as “Which party do you want to control the U.S. Congress?”, is a key indicator of which party is more likely to win the national House popular vote in the next election.