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Democrats Struggle with Party Morale Despite Recent Election Wins
Democratic candidates have secured a series of victories in recent special elections, yet a new poll reveals that rank-and-file Democrats’ views of their party remain significantly diminished since Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential victory.
According to fresh data from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only about 70% of Democrats currently hold a positive view of the Democratic Party. While this represents a clear majority, it marks a substantial decline from historical levels of party support among Democrats.
The drop in Democratic Party favorability began immediately after the 2024 presidential election, plummeting from 85% in September 2024 to 67% in October 2025. Despite the party’s subsequent electoral successes in November’s off-season races and other special elections since then, internal party sentiment has failed to recover to pre-election levels.
“This diminished view of the Democratic Party is consistent regardless of Democrats’ age, race, ideology or educational background,” noted researchers, suggesting the issue transcends demographic divisions within the party. This widespread dissatisfaction presents a significant challenge for party leadership seeking to energize their base.
A separate survey from the Pew Research Center reinforces these findings, revealing that approximately two-thirds of Democrats reported feeling “frustrated” with their party last fall—a sentiment shared by only 40% of Republicans toward their party. Among these frustrated Democrats, roughly 40% felt their party wasn’t fighting hard enough against Trump, while about 10% cited a lack of effective leadership or cohesive agenda.
The AP-NORC poll indicates this Democratic slump is historically unusual in its magnitude. Gallup’s long-term tracking reveals that Democrats’ positive views of their own party declined about 12 percentage points in the last year, reaching the lowest level in that question’s history dating back to 2001. Notably, Democrats did not experience a comparable decline after their previous loss to Trump in 2016.
While the midterm elections remain months away, history suggests potential advantages for Democrats as the party out of power. Traditionally, the party not occupying the White House gains congressional seats in midterm cycles. Additionally, recent polling indicates independents tend to identify more with the opposition party, which could benefit Democrats this year.
The broader political landscape also reveals widespread discontent with both major parties. Approximately one-quarter of Americans hold negative views of both the Democratic and Republican parties. This dual dissatisfaction is particularly pronounced among independents and Americans under 45, with only about 10% of U.S. adults viewing both parties positively.
Health care emerges as a potential bright spot for Democrats heading into the midterms. With rising costs and premiums ranking high among voter concerns, about 35% of Americans trust Democrats to better handle health care issues, compared to 23% for Republicans. This 12-point advantage represents a rare area of clear Democratic strength in the current political environment.
Meanwhile, Republicans have lost some ground on issues that propelled Trump’s reelection—namely the economy and immigration. Republican trust on economic issues has declined from 36% to 31%, while their advantage on immigration has apparently decreased from 39% to approximately one-third of Americans. However, Democrats haven’t capitalized on these Republican declines, with more voters instead shifting toward trusting “neither” party on these key issues.
Neither party currently holds an edge on addressing the cost of living, a pressing concern for many Americans facing persistent inflation and economic uncertainty.
The AP-NORC poll, conducted February 5-8 with a nationally representative sample of 1,156 adults, carries a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points for the overall population and 6.0 percentage points specifically for Democrats.
As the midterm campaign season intensifies, Democratic leadership faces the challenging task of rebuilding enthusiasm among their base while convincing skeptical voters they offer better solutions on key issues than their Republican counterparts.
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12 Comments
Interesting to see Democrats’ views of their party have declined despite recent electoral wins. Seems like a complex issue that goes beyond just demographics. Wonder what’s driving this sentiment and if it will impact the party’s future.
This poll result is intriguing, especially for those of us who follow politics and its potential impact on industries like mining and energy. I’m curious to see if the party can address the underlying factors and rebuild enthusiasm among its supporters.
As an energy and mining investor, I’m always interested in how political shifts might impact commodity markets. This poll raises questions about the Democratic Party’s priorities and agenda going forward. Curious to see how it evolves.
Party loyalty is a fickle thing. While electoral wins are important, it seems Democrats need to do more to reconnect with their base. Wonder what specific policy changes or messaging shifts could help rebuild morale within the party.
Good point. Maintaining enthusiasm and a sense of purpose is crucial, especially for a party in power. They’ll need to find ways to energize the base beyond just election results.
This is an interesting data point for someone like me who follows political and economic trends. I’m curious to see if this sentiment shift has any ripple effects, especially in areas like energy, mining, and commodities policy.
As an investor, I’ll be keeping a close eye on how this Democratic Party morale issue evolves. It could have implications for policy priorities and regulatory environments in key sectors like mining and energy.
Absolutely. Shifts in party dynamics can often foreshadow changes in the policy landscape. This is definitely something worth tracking closely.
Polls can be tricky to interpret, but this does suggest some underlying dissatisfaction among Democrats. Curious to learn more about the factors behind this. Could internal divisions or unmet expectations be at play?
Interesting to see that the Democratic Party’s favorability has declined even among its own base. Curious to learn more about the drivers behind this sentiment and how it might shape the party’s future direction.
Yes, it’s a noteworthy development. Party unity and enthusiasm are so crucial, especially heading into the next election cycle. This could be an important indicator to watch.
As someone invested in the mining and energy sectors, I’ll be closely following how this Democratic Party morale issue evolves. It could have significant implications for policy, regulation, and market dynamics in my areas of interest.