A Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed Monday found Democrats 11 points ahead in a national congressional ballot test as President Donald Trump’s approval rose to 32% before elections that will determine control of Congress.
Among registered voters, 47% said they would choose a Democratic candidate if the congressional election were held that day, compared with 36% for a Republican; 11% were undecided. The survey then asked undecided voters which party they leaned toward. With those responses included, Democrats led 50% to 41%, a nine-point margin.
The 11-point Democratic lead was one point smaller than the margin in the Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed Oct. 19. That earlier survey recorded 31% approval for Trump and a 12-point Democratic advantage in the initial ballot test; EconoTimes covered those findings in a previous report. At 32%, Trump’s approval was one percentage point higher than in the prior week’s poll.
National generic-ballot results show which party voters prefer to lead Congress. They do not decide House or Senate seats, which are won in individual state and district races. Reuters noted that Republicans have structural advantages in some of those races. The national margin measures preference, not a projection of how many seats either party will win.
Republicans are seeking to retain majorities in both chambers. Reuters reported that losing either could complicate Trump’s ability to advance his agenda during the final two years of his second term. The Nov. 3, 2026, midterm elections will decide control of the House and Senate.
Reuters/Ipsos collected online responses from 1,679 U.S. adults over five days; 1,280 were registered voters. Survey estimates had error margins of 2 percentage points for the full adult sample and 3 percentage points for registered voters.
