Poll: Dems lead by 8 on generic House ballot

Democrats hold an 8-point lead over Republicans on the generic House ballot, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. 

The survey released Wednesday finds 50 percent of registered voters picking a Democrat, compared to 42 percent picking a Republican. The Democrats held only a 3-point lead in a similar poll from CNN in May. 

{mosads}CNN notes that the current 8-point lead is lower than the 14-point lead they held in June 2006, the last year Democrats retook the House from the GOP. 

Democrats are reportedly benefitting from an “enthusiasm gap,” as 50 percent of Democratic voters said they are extremely or very enthusiastic about voting. Only 43 percent of Republicans feel the same way.

Voters who are the most enthusiastic about voting lean more heavily towards Democrats as well. Fifty-five percent of voters who fit that category will pick the Democratic candidate, while just 40 percent will choose a Republican in the generic ballot. 

Democrats held a 9-point lead in a similar poll released by Fox News on June 7. 

The CNN poll was conducted among a national sample of 1,012 adults from June 14-17. It has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.