Democrats maintain lead in generic congressional ballot polls as midterms approach

2026 Congressional Midterm Elections·Latest event July 30, 2026

5 hours ago

Democrats maintain lead in generic congressional ballot polls as midterms approach

A new CNN poll indicates registered voters favor Democrats by an eight point margin in the generic ballot. This result follows a Washington Post-Ipsos survey showing a narrower three point lead for Democratic candidates. While voters favor Democrats despite some leader unpopularity, the margin has fluctuated this summer. Earlier in the year, polling showed Democrats with a six point lead, mirroring the 2018 midterm cycle. However, some data suggests Democrats are losing ground compared to 2018 support levels. The trend began in January when polling showed which party had the edge for control of Congress.

CNN Poll: Voters favor Democrats by an 8 point margin heading into the midtermsRegistered voters favor Democratic House candidates by slim margin: PollDespite Trump's unpopularity, WaPo poll shows tight race for Congress