Democrats Rebound in Party Affiliation Advantage, Poll Finds

More Americans’ identify as Democrats than Republicans for the first time in over a year, but the party’s reputation is at an all-time low, according to new Gallup data released on Thursday.

The findings – based on a quarterly average of Gallup polling data and consisting of interviews with at least 3,000 U.S. adults – found that 46 percent of Americans identify as Democrats or see themselves as independents who lean toward the Democratic Party. Slightly less – 43 percent – identify as Republicans or lean toward the GOP. 

It’s the first time since the first quarter of 2024 – and only the second time since the first quarter of 2023 – that Democrats have gained an edge in party identification. Republicans have held a consistent advantage over most of the past two years, a period defined by sagging approval ratings for former President Joe Biden. 

The Gallup data offers mixed news for Democrats. The uptick in Democratic affiliation is driven entirely by Americans who describe themselves as Democratic-leaning independents rather than individuals who identify solidly as Democrats. 

The net 4-point decline among Republican identification, on the other hand, is due equally to a decrease in the number of Americans who call themselves Republicans and a decline in self-identified independents who lean toward the GOP. 

An Image Problem

Democrats are also facing a deepening image problem, according to the Gallup data. Just 34 percent of respondents said they have a favorable view of the party, falling below a previous nadir of 36 percent reached in November 2014 – the same month that Democrats’ lost their Senate majority, handing the GOP control of both chambers of Congress for former President Barack Obama’s final two years in the White House.

The Democratic Party’s sagging reputation is due, in part, to discontent with the party among its own. Seventy-three percent of Americans who identify as Democrats say they have a favorable opinion of the party – a 14-point decrease since last November, according to Gallup’s analysis. 

Republicans fare only slightly better than Democrats in their favorability rating, with 38 percent of Americans reporting having a positive image of the GOP. 

While that marks a 6-point dropoff for the party since last November, Republican-identifying Americans are still largely supportive of the GOP. Ninety-one percent of GOP-identifiers reported having a favorable view of the party. 

Neither party, however, is rated particularly highly among self-identified independents, the Gallup data shows. Just 27 percent of those Americans have a positive view of the Democratic Party, statistically tying the party’s low of 25 percent from November 2014. Only 28 percent of independents reported a favorable opinion of the Republican Party – a 14-point decrease from the 42 percent recorded just before the 2024 general election.

On a similar note, U.S. adults don’t see either party as particularly effective when it comes to governing. Thirty-five percent said that they see the Democrats as capable of managing the federal government, while 36 percent said the same of Republicans.