Democrats hold 10-point advantage ahead of midterms: Survey

The Democratic Party is holding a 10-point advantage over Republicans on the generic ballot less than two weeks from the 2026 midterms, according to a new survey.

The CNN/SSRS poll found that 49 percent of respondents chose Democrats when asked to choose “which party’s candidate would you vote for in your Congressional district,” while 39 percent picked Republicans — the widest margin seen in the poll since just before the 2020 election.

The advantage comes from strong support from traditional pillars of the Democratic coalition, including Black respondents siding with Democrats by a 70-point margin and Latino respondents by a 40-point margin.

For voters who rated the economy as their top concern, 46 percent picked Democrats and 37 chose the GOP, with Democrats also being viewed as the party better equipped to deal with the economy and cost of living.

When asked what would happen if Democrats regained control of Congress, 41 percent of respondents believed the country would be better off, 37 percent responded it would be worse off and 22 percent said it would be no different.

This comes as Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan election handicapper, shifted 28 House races in Democrats’ direction. When adding up the seats Crystal Ball says are either safe, likely or leaning toward one party, the new projections put Democrats above the 218 seats needed for a House majority.

Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), The Hill’s partner, also forecast Democrats as likely winning the House , rating the party as having a 77 percent chance of regaining control of the chamber. In the Senate, DDHQ gives Democrats a 55 percent chance of taking control .

The poll also found President Trump’s approval rating at a record low of 32 percent, just 1 point below its next lowest point in September.

Trump’s approval rating has plummeted in the months since he authorized strikes on Iran, with the ensuing war leading to rising gas prices nationwide following Iran’s effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.

Though he has sought to ease prices through his Russian diesel deal , among other policy solutions , the average cost of gas in the U.S. hit $4.26 per gallon on Wednesday — almost $1.21 more than the average at this time last year, according to AAA .

The CNN/SSRS poll was conducted Oct. 15-18 among 1,701 respondents. The margin of error was 2.9 percentage points.