Poll: Trump, GOP leadership drag down Republicans on generic ballot

Democrats have a 10-point for the 2018 midterms — their largest of the year — in a new Politico-Morning Consult poll that shows they have been helped by President Trump and GOP leaders in Congress.

Forty-four percent of respondents said they are more likely to vote Democratic on a generic ballot, compared to 34 percent who said they would vote Republican.

Women are even more likely to vote Democratic, pollsters found. The party is leading by 15 points among female voters, and only 3 points among male voters. Democrats also have a significant lead — 59 points — among African-American voters.

Trump’s divisiveness has affected how voters see Republican candidates, according to the poll, which was released Thursday morning. While 32 percent of respondents said a Trump endorsement would make them more likely to support a candidate, 38 percent said it would make them less likely to support a candidate. 

Voters also said they are much less likely to vote for a candidate backed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Thirty-six percent said his endorsement would make them less likely to vote for a candidate, while only 18 percent said it would make them more likely. The poll shows that Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) endorsement would have a similar effect, as would former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon’s.

{mosads}Generic ballots are considered to be key indicators for how the parties will perform in upcoming elections.

The Politico-Morning Consult poll is just one of a wave of recent polls that boosts Democrats’ hopes for next year’s elections. A new CNN poll showed that the party was leading by 18 points over the GOP, and several others, including a Fox News poll, have also shown double-digit leads.

The Politico-Morning Consult poll of 1,991 registered voters was conducted Dec. 14-18, before the GOP tax bill passed through Congress. The tax-reform plan is the first major legislative victory for the Republican-led Congress under President Trump.

The new poll’s margin of error 2 percentage points.

–This report was updated at 7:40 a.m.