Poll: Republicans looking forward to midterms

Republicans say they are looking forward to the 2014 midterm elections far more than their Democratic counterparts, according to a new poll. 

A Pew survey released Tuesday found 63 percent of Republicans say they are “especially looking forward” to the November elections, While 53 percent of Democrats say the same — leaving a 10 point gap. 

{mosads}Republicans held a similar advantage ahead of the 2010 elections when the party swept back control of the House. At the time, 60 percent of Republicans said they were looking forward to the elections, while 48 percent of Democrats said the same. 

Overall, 51 percent of people said they are looking forward to the November elections. 

A similar Pew poll from December found that 53 percent of Republicans voters said they were enthusiastic about the midterms and 47 percent of Democrats said the same. 

In that same poll, Republicans were more confident than Democrats that they would improve their standing compared to the last election. 

Republicans hold majority control in the House, and Democrats would need to net 17 seats to win back the chamber — a tall order in an off-year election with a Democratic president. Republicans need to net six seats in the Senate to win control of the upper chamber. 

The Pew poll surveyed 1,005 national adults and has a 3.7 percent margin of error. 

The poll found that people, by a slight margin, are more excited about the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, than they are about the elections. However, excitement for the election outpaces excitement for the Academy Awards and the World Cup.