NBC survey puts Democrats at 52%, Republicans at 45%

Independents favor Democrats by 21 points

Supporters recite the Pledge of Allegiance before a campaign rally speech by US President Donald Trump in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday (local time), ahead of the midterm elections. [Reuters]
Supporters recite the Pledge of Allegiance before a campaign rally speech by US President Donald Trump in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday (local time), ahead of the midterm elections. [Reuters]

A new poll shows Democrats leading Republicans by 7 percentage points in congressional preference ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections (local time).

According to the NBC News survey released Sunday (local time), 52 percent of respondents said they want Democrats to control Congress, compared with 45 percent who prefer Republican control.

The Democratic advantage widened by 2 percentage points from last month's survey. Among independent voters, Democrats led Republicans by 21 points.

President Donald Trump's disapproval rating stood at 60 percent, far outpacing a 40 percent approval rating. The 60 percent disapproval mark is the highest recorded for Trump across both terms in NBC News polling.

About three-quarters of voters said they are dissatisfied with the current state of the US economy. Additionally, 64 percent said Trump has fallen short of their expectations, while 34 percent said he has met them. Seventy percent said the country is heading in the wrong direction.

On the question of which party would better handle inflation, Democrats edged out Republicans by 1 percentage point. Republicans held a 2-point advantage on the broader economy, though that gap has narrowed sharply from the double-digit leads the party enjoyed in recent years.

Voters' views of the Democratic Party itself remained unfavorable, however. Only 29 percent said they have a positive impression of Democrats, compared with 38 percent for Republicans. Even among voters who want Democrats to control Congress, a significant share said their choice was driven more by opposition to Republicans than by genuine support for the Democratic Party.

Republicans continued to show strength among their core supporters. In districts with Republican incumbents and in states Trump carried in the 2024 presidential election, Republicans led in congressional ballot preference.

Trump recorded a 93 percent approval rating among Republicans who identify with the MAGA — Make America Great Again — movement. Among Republicans who do not identify with the MAGA camp, approval stood at 54 percent, with 46 percent disapproving.

The NBC News poll was conducted from Wednesday through Friday among 1,000 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.


yckim6452@heraldcorp.com