A recent CNN poll, conducted by SSRS, reveals that the Democratic Party maintains a highly motivated base as it approaches the midterm elections this fall. Despite widespread dissatisfaction with party leaders in Congress, Democratic registered voters exhibit a significant drive to participate in the electoral process. The poll shows that Democrats hold a 5-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot, which expands to an impressive 16 points among those voters who are deeply motivated to cast their ballots.
This year presents an opportunity for Democrats to leverage public discontent with President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled government. The poll indicates that a majority of Americans perceive the first year of Trump’s second term as unsuccessful. Notably, only 29% of independents express approval of his job performance.
The generic congressional ballot serves as a tool to gauge voter preference between the two major political parties in upcoming elections. Although it does not predict specific outcomes for candidates in individual districts, it provides an early indication of party strength at a national level. Historically, Democrats had a similar 5-point lead among registered voters in 2018, which contributed to their success in reclaiming the House during Trump’s first term. In contrast, the 2022 elections saw a nearly even split between the two parties while Biden was in office.
Dissatisfaction with Democratic Leaders
Despite the enthusiasm among voters, approval ratings for congressional Democratic leaders are notably low, standing at just 28%. This figure trails behind the 35% approval rating for their Republican counterparts. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, a substantial majority believes that congressional Democrats have not effectively opposed Trump’s policies. The sentiment has grown since January, with 71% now feeling that Democrats in Congress are ineffective in resisting Republican initiatives, a significant rise from 51% earlier in the year.
Highly motivated Democratic voters are more likely to express frustration with the party’s congressional actions. Many feel unrepresented by the current government, and this discontent could influence primary challenges against sitting members of Congress in the coming months. The prevailing public mood as the year begins remains bleak, with many Americans rating the economy poorly. Among those dissatisfied, support for a change in political leadership is nearly as prevalent as the desire to reduce inflation.
Republican Approval Ratings
In contrast, approximately 75% of Republicans express approval of their congressional leaders. In comparison, only 48% of Democrats feel positively about their party’s leadership in Congress. Independents tend to view both party leaderships unfavorably, with around three-quarters disapproving of both sides.
Public opinion is divided on whether the country would fare better or worse under Democratic control of Congress following the elections. While 84% of Republicans believe the country would be worse off, 79% of Democrats feel the opposite. Among independents, 35% think a Democratic majority would improve conditions, while 27% are pessimistic. A notable 37% believe a change in control would yield no significant difference.
Despite these mixed feelings, many voters appear willing to support Democrats on the generic ballot, favoring the party over Republicans by roughly a 2-to-1 margin among those who are uncertain about the impact of Democratic control.
Assessing GOP Leadership
A majority of 61% of Americans view congressional Republicans as at least somewhat effective in passing new legislation, a noticeable decline from the 76% who anticipated effectiveness a year ago. Half of the public believes that congressional Republicans are overly supportive of Trump, while a similar proportion feels that Trump has been detrimental to the Republican Party. Nevertheless, within the GOP, 56% assert that their leaders are appropriately supporting Trump, with only 11% believing they are too supportive.
The perception of Trump’s influence on the party remains overwhelmingly positive among Republican-aligned individuals, with two-thirds asserting that he has positively impacted the GOP. Among those identifying with the “Make America Great Again” movement, 90% believe Trump has benefited the party, while only 1% view his influence negatively.
The CNN poll was conducted from January 9-12, 2026, among a random national sample of 1,209 adults, which included 968 registered voters. The margin of sampling error for the overall sample is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, and it is 3.5 points among registered voters.
