The Democratic Party has a deeply motivated base and a clear advantage on the generic congressional ballot ahead of this fall’s midterms despite dismal impressions of its current leaders in Congress, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. While the party has a 5-point edge on the generic ballot, among those who say they’re deeply motivated to vote, that advantage expands to a massive 16 points. The generic congressional ballot measures which of the two major parties voters would rather support in an upcoming election. Roughly three-quarters of Republicans approve of the GOP’s congressional leaders, while just 48% of Democrats approve of their party’s leaders in Congress. Two-thirds of GOP-aligned adults say Trump has had a good effect on the Republican Party, with just 15% saying he’s had a bad effect on the GOP.

Source: CNN January 18, 2026 14:32 UTC