Democrats hold a nine-point lead going into the midterm elections Nov. 6, but President Donald Trump’s job rating is at an all-time high, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
The Democrats’ nine-point lead is among likely voters, who prefer Democratic Congressional candidates over Republicans by that margin.
Trump’s job rating among registered voters between Oct. 14 and 17 was at 47% approve to 49% disapprove, compared to 44% approve and 52% disapprove a month earlier. But among likely voters—instead of the larger group of registered voters—Trump’s job rating drops to 45% approve, 52% disapprove.
Trump has never had a higher job rating as president, according to NBC/WSJ polls. And among all registered voters, the Democrats’ midterm lead dips from nine points to seven points.
Another boon for Republicans is that the Democrats’ lead on the midterms narrows in battleground districts. In those districts, many of which have been held by Republicans, preference among voters is tied.
“The current data shows that the Democratic advantage has ebbed but still with a large advantage. And the GOP shows some life,” Democratic pollster Fred Yang, who worked on the poll, told NBC.
Enthusiasm from women, young voters, and Latinos is powering the Democratic lead, the poll determined. Seventy-two percent of Democrats told pollsters they had a “high interest” in the November election, compared to 68% of Republicans. On both sides, though, enthusiasm is at fever pitch.
On the issues, the poll found, Republicans hold an advantage on the economy and Democrats win voter approval on health care.