Poll: Half of voters want Democrats to control Congress

Half of Americans now want Democrats to control Congress, according to a newly-released poll.

The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday finds 50 percent of registered voters say they want a Democratic-controlled Congress, compared to 39 percent who want Republicans in control.

Democrats hold a massive advantage among voters ages 18 to 34 in the poll, with 69 percent of those voters saying they prefer Democrats in control of Congress versus 21 percent who prefer Republicans. They also hold double-digit advantages among female voters, 54 percent to 34 percent, and independent voters, 43 percent to 31 percent percent.

{mosads}Meanwhile, Republicans hold just a 2-point advantage among white voters, with 46 percent saying they prefer a Republican-controlled Congress compared to 44 percent who want Democrats in power.

NBC reports it’s the first time since 2008 that Democrats have held a double-digit lead and captured 50 percent of registered voters on the question of who should control congress in the NBC/WSJ poll.

Democrats also hold an advantage among voters who describe themselves as having a “high level of interest” in the 2018 midterm elections, according to the poll, with 59 percent of Democratic voters saying they have a high level of interest versus 49 percent of Republican voters.

The poll also found President Trump’s approval rating at 41 percent, significantly higher than some recent polls that have found his approval hovering in the low 30s.

The poll was conducted by phone from Dec. 13-15 among 900 adults. The margin of error is 3.3 percentage points.

The poll follows the results of the Alabama Senate special election, in which Doug Jones (D) captured a stunning victory over Republican opponent Roy Moore, who was marred by multiple allegations of sexual misconduct in the final weeks of the race. His election narrows the Republican majority in the Senate.