Just 28% of Americans view the Democratic Party positively, while 56% see it unfavorably, according to a new poll conducted from March 26 to March 30. Republicans are hardly faring better: 32% of Americans view the party positively and 55% view it negatively.
The numbers land at a moment when Democrats are trying to win back congressional majorities and Republicans are defending slim Senate and fragile House majorities in this year's midterm elections. President Donald Trump also remains underwater in approval ratings, but the party brands around him are still struggling to gain traction.
The gap is especially stark when set against earlier election cycles. Democrats were ahead by double digits in net favorability in both 2006 and 2018, two years that helped shape modern midterm political swings. This time, an average of the most recent national polls gives Republicans a 15-point net negative favorability and Democrats a 20-point net negative favorability.
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That weakness has not kept Democrats from posting isolated wins. Two weeks ago, they flipped a Republican-controlled legislative seat in a Palm Beach, Florida-anchored district that includes Mar-a-Lago, and they also took a state Senate seat in Florida in a separate special election the same day.
Those results suggest Democrats still have enough energy to score in select contests, even as the broader national picture remains grim for both parties. The Democratic brand has been hitting historic lows over the past year, and some Democrats say their party's favorable ratings are being dragged down in part because their leaders in Congress are not fighting Trump loudly enough.
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For now, the latest poll points to a plain conclusion: neither party is entering the United States midterm election environment with a broadly popular brand, and that leaves both sides exposed as the campaign season hardens.
