By LINLEY SANDERS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic candidates have notched a sequence of wins in current particular elections — however a brand new AP-NORC ballot finds views of the Democratic Social gathering amongst rank-and-file Democrats haven’t bounced again since President Donald Trump’s victory in 2024.
Solely about 7 in 10 Democrats have a constructive view of the Democratic Social gathering, based on new polling from The Related Press-NORC Heart for Public Affairs Analysis. Whereas the overwhelming majority of Democrats nonetheless be ok with their get together, they’re a lot much less constructive than they’ve been previously.
The midterm elections are nonetheless many months away, and lackluster favorability doesn’t spell electoral doom. Different elements may gain advantage Democrats this yr, together with broadly unfavorable views of Trump and different Republicans. Moreover, current polling has discovered that independents are likely to determine extra with the get together that’s out of energy, which might enhance Democrats this yr too. Traditionally, the get together not within the White Home has picked up seats in Congress in midterm elections.
However the lack of enthusiasm might be a longer-term downside for the get together. Democrats’ favorability of their get together plummeted after the 2024 election, from 85% in September 2024 to 67% in October 2025. And regardless of overwhelming victories in November’s low season elections and a string of wins since then, these views haven’t recovered. Different polling signifies that Democrats are deeply pissed off with their get together.
On the similar time, there’s some potential excellent news for Democrats within the new ballot. Though Republicans are barely extra smitten by their very own get together, People generally don’t suppose extremely of both get together. Well being care is on many People’ minds this yr, and it’s a problem the place Democrats have a big benefit, based on the survey. In the meantime, Republicans have misplaced some floor on two of Trump’s signature points, the financial system and immigration, though People don’t essentially belief Democrats extra on these points in consequence.
Many Democrats are pissed off
Different polling means that Democrats’ post-2024 droop is unusually massive.
In Gallup’s measure of favorability, Democrats’ constructive views of their very own get together declined about 12 proportion factors within the final yr. That marked the bottom measure in that query’s historical past, which dates again to 2001. Notably, Democrats didn’t see an identical decline after their first loss to Trump in 2016.
That diminished view of the Democratic Social gathering within the AP-NORC polling is constant no matter Democrats’ age, race, ideology or instructional background — suggesting that interesting to a selected group or two gained’t repair the issue.
A separate survey from the Pew Analysis Heart final fall discovered roughly two-thirds of Democrats in September stated their very own get together made them “pissed off” in comparison with simply 4 in 10 Republicans.
Amongst these pissed off Democrats, about 4 in 10 felt their get together was not preventing arduous sufficient in opposition to Trump whereas about 1 in 10 stated there was a scarcity of excellent management or a cohesive agenda.
Many People are unfavorable about each events
It’s not simply Democrats — People aren’t thrilled with both get together proper now.
Roughly one-quarter of People have a unfavorable view of each the Democratic Social gathering and the Republican Social gathering, based on the AP-NORC knowledge. That double-negativity is particularly sharp amongst independents and People underneath 45.
About half of U.S. adults solely view one get together positively, and solely about 1 in 10 be ok with each events.
However Democrats’ lack of goodwill is more moderen. Polling over the past 25 years from Gallup reveals that People used to really feel far more positively towards the Democrats. Round 2010, public sentiment turned in opposition to the Democrats. Since then, at the least half of People have held unfavorable views of the get together, based on Gallup.
Damaging views of the Democrats now rival essentially the most unfavorable cut-off dates for the Republicans.
Democrats maintain well being care as a energy
With well being care on the prime of People’ precedence lists as prices and premiums rise, Democrats have a potential benefit going into the midterm yr.
About one-third of U.S. adults — 35% — belief the Democrats to do a greater job dealing with well being care, in comparison with 23% for the Republicans. That’s broadly in step with the final time the query was requested in October 2025.
On the similar time, Republicans have misplaced some floor on the problems that had been key to Trump’s reelection — the financial system and immigration. However Democrats haven’t managed to capitalize on it. Solely about 3 in 10 U.S. adults, 31%, say Republicans are the get together they belief to deal with the financial system, down barely from 36% final yr. However Democrats haven’t made any good points on this problem; fairly, barely extra People now say they belief “neither” get together to deal with the financial system.
Neither get together has an edge on who is best geared up to handle the price of dwelling, which was first requested in the latest ballot.
Republicans are additionally down barely on dealing with immigration. Solely about one-third of U.S. adults belief them to raised deal with immigration, an obvious lower from 39% in October. Democrats didn’t seem to profit from that shift both.
The AP-NORC ballot of 1,156 adults was performed Feb. 5-8 utilizing a pattern drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be consultant of the U.S. inhabitants. The margin of sampling error for adults total is plus or minus 3.9 proportion factors. The margin of sampling error for Democrats total is plus or minus 6.0 proportion factors.
