Poll: Dems up double-digits on GOP in generic House ballot

Democrats hold a 12-point lead over Republicans in a generic congressional ballot poll released Wednesday morning, reflecting a growing disparity between the two parties with just two months until the midterm elections.

An NPR/Marist poll found that 50 percent of voters said they are more likely to vote for a Democrat in their congressional district, while 38 percent said they would likely vote Republican. Six percent said they remain undecided, while 7 percent said they would not vote for either candidate from the two major parties.

The poll closely aligns with a Quinnipiac Poll that was also released Wednesday. That poll gave Democrats a 14-point edge over Republicans on the generic House ballot.

{mosads}The NPR/Marist poll found Democrats with an edge over Republicans in most demographic groups, with the exception of men, who said by a 47-41 margin that they’d vote for a GOP candidate. White voters without a college degree also backed Republicans, according to the poll.

The poll was conducted Sept. 5-9 and surveyed 777 registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. 

Wednesday’s NPR poll marks a 5-point gain for Democrats from July’s polling, when 47 percent of respondents said they’d back a Democrat and 40 percent said they’d vote Republican.

Democrats, who need to win 24 seats to take back the majority in the House, hold a roughly 8-point lead over Republicans in a RealClearPolitics average of generic congressional voting surveys.

Republicans have publicly expressed optimism that they can stave off a Democratic surge, however, President Trump’s declining approval rating has fueled concerns among some in the party that their prospects for a positive midterm result are shrinking.