Democratic candidates have enjoyed a string of victories in recent special elections, but a new Associated Press-NORC poll finds that rank-and-file Democrats’ views of the Democratic Party have yet to rebound since President Donald Trump’s 2024 victory.
Only about 7 in 10 Democrats have a positive view of the Democratic Party, according to the latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While the vast majority of Democrats still feel good about their party, they are far less motivated than in the past.
With the midterm elections just months away, sluggish approval ratings don’t spell doom for the election. Other factors could benefit Democrats this year, including generally negative views of Trump and other Republicans.
But a lack of enthusiasm may be a long-term problem for the party. Democrats’ favorability for their party plummeted after the 2024 election. Despite a landslide victory in November’s offseason election and a string of victories since, those views have yet to recover.
up to date:
Democrats hold advantage on health care but struggle to make progress on economy
Despite internal negativity, Democrats have at least one potential advantage in the midterm elections.
About a third of U.S. adults (35%) believe Democrats do a better job on health care, compared with 23% of Republicans.
Meanwhile, Republicans have lost some ground on key issues for Trump’s reelection — the economy and immigration — but Democrats have failed to capitalize.
Only 31% of U.S. adults say they trust Republicans to control the economy, down slightly from 36% last year. But Democrats have made no progress on the issue; instead, slightly more Americans now say they don’t trust “any” political party.
Polls show many Americans have negative views of both parties
It’s not just the Democrats—Americans are uninterested in any political party right now.
Only about one-third of U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of Democrats or Republicans, according to an Associated Press-NORC poll. About a quarter of Americans view both negatively, and this dual negativity is particularly strong among independents and Americans under 45.
But the Democratic Party’s loss of goodwill is more recent. Gallup polls from the past 25 years show that Americans used to be much more positive toward Democrats. Around 2010, public sentiment began to turn against them. Since then, at least half of Americans have viewed the party negatively.
Negative views among Democrats are now on par with the most negative views among Republicans.
A new AP-NORC poll finds many Democrats remain dissatisfied with the Democratic Party
After Trump wins the presidency in 2024, Democrats become less enthusiastic about their party. Despite a string of victories in recent special elections, polls show morale has yet to rebound.
The latest AP-NORC poll shows 70% of rank-and-file Democrats have a positive view of the Democratic Party. While the vast majority of Democrats still feel good about their party, they are far less motivated than in the past.
After the 2024 election, Democrats’ favorable opinion of their party dropped significantly, from 85% in September 2024 to 67% in October 2025.
