Poll: GOP erases Dem advantage on generic ballot ahead of midterms

Republicans have retaken the lead on a generic ballot ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, according to a poll released Wednesday morning.

The Politico–Morning Consult poll finds that 39 percent of likely voters would support a generic Republican candidate in November, while 38 percent would support a Democrat. Nearly a quarter of Americans, 23 percent, are undecided.

The main split in the new poll comes among independents, with 26 percent favoring a Democratic candidate and 25 percent selecting a Republican. A sizable 49 percent of independents are undecided.

The generic Republican candidate had trailed the Democrat by as much as 10 points since November in the Politico–Morning Consult poll. 

{mosads}Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, maintain an advantage over Democrats when it comes to who voters trust to handle major issues, pollsters found. Nineteen percent of voters trust the GOP over Democrats when it comes to national security. Republicans also hold a 9-point advantage on job growth and 6-point edge on immigration. 

Democrats lead Republicans on just one issue: healthcare. The GOP trails Democrats by 4  points in that area.

The Politico–Morning Consult poll of 1,985 registered voters was conducted Feb. 8–12. It has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.