Democrats up 8 points among likely voters ahead of midterms: poll

Democrats hold a 8-point lead over Republicans among likely voters on a generic ballot poll conducted just a week before Election Day and with early voting underway in many states.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll published Sunday found that Democrats lead the GOP on a generic congressional ballot, 52 to 44 percent, among likely voters.

That lead shrinks to 49 to 44 percent in districts that ABC labeled “toss-ups.”

{mosads}While Democrats still hold a comfortable lead, according to the poll, it has diminished in recent months leading up to Election Day. Democrats led by 14 percentage points in the August ABC News/Washington Poll, and by 13 points in October’s poll.

The new poll shows President Trump’s approval rating at 40 percent, the lowest of any president heading into their first midterm election since Harry Truman in 1946. His low marks could prove costly for the GOP, as 59 percent of likely voters said it’s important to vote for a candidate who shares their view of the president.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll surveyed 1,041 registered voters from Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Its results track closely with a RealClearPolitics average of generic ballot polls, which shows Democrats with a 7.2 percentage point lead.

Republicans are attempting to stave off a Democratic surge to retake control of the House and Senate. Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House to reclaim the majority, and must gain two seats in the Senate to secure a majority in the upper chamber.