Favorability Wars: The Democrats catch the GOP
Why resist verification?
For much of 2025, Americans viewed the Republican Party more favorably than the Democratic Party. The Democrats found themselves in a deep hole after Joe Biden’s unpopular presidency. Democrats not only suffered from negative views among independents, but also mediocre ratings from Democrats themselves, who held a much lower opinion of their own party than Republicans did of theirs.
The Democratic Party’s favorability is now better than the Republican Party’s, though both remain in net negative territory
Yet late last year, the parties’ favorability numbers moved closer together. And following the November 2025 elections, the Democrats’ actually enjoyed their first stretch of superior net favorability during Trump’s second term in office. As of Tuesday, the Democratic Party finds itself with its lowest unfavorable percentage in the past year (43.5%), while its favorability figure sits at 37.4%, giving it a net favorability of about -6.
By comparison, the Republican Party’s favorability stands at 35.3% and its unfavorability at 47.5%, a -12 net rating that puts it below the Democrats’ figure.
The GOP’s unified control of the federal government and Trump’s underwater approval rating have likely contributed to this shift, prompting the GOP’s net favorability to drift down while rallying Democrats to their party after holding more negative attitudes.
In the generic ballot for 2026, Democrats now hold a nearly 6-point lead over the GOP.
With the favorability switch occurring in mid-November 2025, is it safe to say the government shutdown contributed to the flip? Or was it the results of the Virginia and New Jersey elections giving confidence to Democrats voters? Can Democrats catch up to Democrats again in time for the 2026 election? Does this favorability even translate to election outcomes?
Why resist verification?
For much of 2025, Americans viewed the Republican Party more favorably than the Democratic Party. The Democrats found themselves in a deep hole after Joe Biden’s unpopular presidency. Democrats not only suffered from negative views among independents, but also mediocre ratings from Democrats themselves, who held a much lower opinion of their own party than Republicans did of theirs.
The Democratic Party’s favorability is now better than the Republican Party’s, though both remain in net negative territory
Yet late last year, the parties’ favorability numbers moved closer together. And following the November 2025 elections, the Democrats’ actually enjoyed their first stretch of superior net favorability during Trump’s second term in office. As of Tuesday, the Democratic Party finds itself with its lowest unfavorable percentage in the past year (43.5%), while its favorability figure sits at 37.4%, giving it a net favorability of about -6.
By comparison, the Republican Party’s favorability stands at 35.3% and its unfavorability at 47.5%, a -12 net rating that puts it below the Democrats’ figure.
The GOP’s unified control of the federal government and Trump’s underwater approval rating have likely contributed to this shift, prompting the GOP’s net favorability to drift down while rallying Democrats to their party after holding more negative attitudes.
In the generic ballot for 2026, Democrats now hold a nearly 6-point lead over the GOP.
With the favorability switch occurring in mid-November 2025, is it safe to say the government shutdown contributed to the flip? Or was it the results of the Virginia and New Jersey elections giving confidence to Democrats voters? Can Democrats catch up to Democrats again in time for the 2026 election? Does this favorability even translate to election outcomes?
Favorability Wars: The Democrats catch the GOP
Why resist verification?
For much of 2025, Americans viewed the Republican Party more favorably than the Democratic Party. The Democrats found themselves in a deep hole after Joe Biden’s unpopular presidency. Democrats not only suffered from negative views among independents, but also mediocre ratings from Democrats themselves, who held a much lower opinion of their own party than Republicans did of theirs.
The Democratic Party’s favorability is now better than the Republican Party’s, though both remain in net negative territory
Yet late last year, the parties’ favorability numbers moved closer together. And following the November 2025 elections, the Democrats’ actually enjoyed their first stretch of superior net favorability during Trump’s second term in office. As of Tuesday, the Democratic Party finds itself with its lowest unfavorable percentage in the past year (43.5%), while its favorability figure sits at 37.4%, giving it a net favorability of about -6.
By comparison, the Republican Party’s favorability stands at 35.3% and its unfavorability at 47.5%, a -12 net rating that puts it below the Democrats’ figure.
The GOP’s unified control of the federal government and Trump’s underwater approval rating have likely contributed to this shift, prompting the GOP’s net favorability to drift down while rallying Democrats to their party after holding more negative attitudes.
In the generic ballot for 2026, Democrats now hold a nearly 6-point lead over the GOP.
With the favorability switch occurring in mid-November 2025, is it safe to say the government shutdown contributed to the flip? Or was it the results of the Virginia and New Jersey elections giving confidence to Democrats voters? Can Democrats catch up to Democrats again in time for the 2026 election? Does this favorability even translate to election outcomes?
