Democrats hold a 4-point lead over Republicans in a new congressional poll as candidates enter the homestretch leading up to November’s midterm elections.
An Economist/YouGov poll released Wednesday found that 45 percent of respondents said they would back the Democratic candidate in their House district, while 41 percent said they would support the Republican candidate.
Republicans fared better among independents, with 38 percent of those polled saying that they would vote for a GOP candidate if the election were held today. Thirty-four percent of independents said they would support a Democratic candidate.
{mosads}Democrats fared 10 points better among women than Republicans, with 46 percent of women responding that they would vote for a Democrat in their House district, compared to 36 percent of women who said the same for Republicans. More men responded that they would vote for a Republican candidate, with 48 percent saying they would vote for a GOP candidate. Forty-three percent said the same for Democrats.
Democrats also held a substantial advantage among black and Hispanic voters, according to the poll. The GOP held a 9-point edge among white voters, however.
The poll surveyed 1,500 people, including 1,195 registered voters, and was conducted from Sept. 16-18. The poll has a margin of error of 2.8 percent.
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.
President Trump has remained optimistic about Republican’s chances of maintaining their majorities. He told Hill.TV in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that he believes the GOP will fare “much better than anyone thinks because the economy is so good, and people do like the job I’m doing.”
Republican strategists have expressed concerns that Trump’s sinking approval ratings could compound their problems winning Congressional seats.