
A new national survey finds Democrats holding a clear advantage over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, with a 10-point lead as the party benefits from stronger backing among key voter groups.
According to polling released Wednesday by Emerson College Polling, 50% of respondents said they would support a Democratic candidate for Congress, compared to 40% who favored a Republican. Another 10% of those surveyed said they have not yet decided.
Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said the Democratic edge is being fueled by growing support among several demographic groups.
“Democrats’ strength is driven by an increase in support among Hispanic voters, women, and independents,” Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball said. “Hispanics break for Democrats [over Republicans] by a 35-point margin, 61% to 26%, women by 21 points, 55% to 34%, and independents by 19 points, 50% to 31%.”
The survey also examined public views on President Donald Trump, showing his approval rating at 40% among likely voters, while 56% disapprove. Compared to March, that reflects a two-point drop in approval and a five-point increase in disapproval. The poll was conducted prior to the incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Kimball also highlighted a shift among Hispanic voters in their views of Trump.
“Trump is underwater among Hispanic voters, 70% to 29%, compared to this time last year when they were split: 44% disapproved, and 41% approved,” Kimball said.
Respondents in the survey also expressed negative views of Trump’s performance on several major issues, including the economy, foreign policy, and immigration, where disapproval outweighed approval in each category.
The Emerson College Polling survey was conducted from April 24 through April 26. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, and the results were adjusted to reflect demographic factors such as gender, education, race, age, party registration, and geographic region based on U.S. Census data and voter file information.