3 minPolitics
Democrats lead likely voters by 8 points as Trump disapproval drives early turnout
A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll shows Democrats holding an 8-point lead among likely voters in the fight for control of Congress, one week before Election Day.
Democrats hold an 8-point lead among likely voters in the fight for control of Congress, with one week remaining until Election Day, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. The survey points to a race that has tilted toward the party out of power as voters weigh their views of the Trump presidency.
The poll's findings come as early voting is underway in many states, and the source reporting ties growing turnout to disapproval of President Donald Trump. That dynamic has been a recurring theme in the campaign, with Democrats campaigning on opposition to the administration's direction and Republicans urging their base to turn out and defend their majorities in both chambers.
Commentary circulating alongside the poll has focused on several closely watched Senate contests. In Michigan, Republican Mike Rogers is running against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a race that has drawn attention to El-Sayed's remarks after an attack on a Michigan synagogue, which he described as a declaration that "hurt people hurt people." Rogers has campaigned in traditional Democratic strongholds in and around Detroit and Pontiac and has stressed his career as a federal and state legislator, an FBI agent and an Army officer. Critics of El-Sayed have also pointed to his interview with Fox News host Bret Baier, which they described as an attempt to deflect from his record.
In Minnesota, Republican Michele Tafoya is facing Democrat Peggy Flanagan, who has served as the state's lieutenant governor since 2019. Flanagan's campaign has been shadowed by a fraud scandal that engulfed part of the Twin Cities' Somali community. In Maine, Senator Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent and chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, is seeking re-election against Democrat Troy Jackson, whom commentators described as having faced Collins in four debates. In Texas, Republican Ken Paxton, the state's attorney general, who has won statewide three times, is running against Democrat James Talarico.
Democrats have brought high-profile surrogates into the campaign, including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barack Obama has been called in to energize voters. Supporters of the Democratic nominees argue that their messages resonate with voters, while critics contend that some of these candidates' positions are outside the political mainstream. The Senate and House outcomes will determine which party controls Congress next year, and the final week of early and in-person voting will show whether the national mood visible in the poll holds through Election Day.
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