CNN Analyst Says Democrats In Congress Are In Worst Shape Ever

Democrats are facing a political free fall as new polling shows their approval rating plunging to historic lows, according to CNN’s own chief data analyst.

Speaking on CNN, Harry Enten said the Democratic Party’s standing with voters has collapsed, describing the numbers as “lower than the Dead Sea” based on the latest national polling.

Enten pointed to a recent Quinnipiac University survey that found congressional Democrats in the worst position the pollster has ever recorded. According to the data, Democrats in Congress currently hold a staggering net approval rating of minus 55 percentage points overall, Newsweek reported.

Among independent voters—the crucial swing bloc that often determines national elections—the numbers are even more devastating, with a net approval rating of minus 61 points.

“Quinnipiac University has never found Democrats, at least those in Congress, in worse shape than they are right now,” Enten said.

The collapse is being driven largely by independents, but Enten emphasized that Democratic voters themselves are also souring on their own party. Among Democrats, congressional approval now stands at minus 6 percentage points—a dramatic reversal from just two months earlier.

In October, Democratic approval among party members was plus 22 points. The shift represents a stunning 28-point drop in a matter of weeks.

The polling lands as Democrats look toward the 2026 midterm elections, where control of Congress will once again be on the line. Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the House, leading Democrats 219 to 214, while the GOP controls the Senate with a 53 to 47 advantage.

Traditionally, the party out of power in the White House performs better in midterm elections. In 2018, Republicans lost control of the House after Democrats picked up 41 seats.

Still, Enten cautioned that Democrats’ current position is far from strong—even if history offers them some hope.

Despite the dire numbers, Enten said Democrats could still theoretically claw their way back to a congressional majority in 2026. But he warned that the current data is “definitely hurting them.”

The Quinnipiac poll found that just 18 percent of registered voters approve of how Democrats in Congress are handling their jobs. A whopping 73 percent said they disapprove—the lowest approval rating for congressional Democrats in the history of Quinnipiac’s polling.

The survey was conducted from Dec. 11 through Dec. 15 among 1,035 registered voters nationwide and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

Despite the bleak approval ratings, Democrats maintain a slim edge on the generic congressional ballot. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they would prefer Democrats to control the House if the election were held at the time of the survey, compared to 43 percent who favored Republicans.

Democrats have pointed to recent localized victories as evidence the party is not entirely out of step with voters. On Nov. 4, Democrats won several high-profile races, including the New York City mayoral contest.

In that race, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Speaking to Newsweek, Mark Shanahan, a professor of American politics at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, said Democrats are hoping to replicate those localized wins on a national scale.

He argued that strong candidates and locally focused campaigns could help the party recover ahead of the midterms. However, Shanahan warned that if approval ratings remain depressed, the 2026 elections could devolve into a matchup between two deeply unpopular parties.

Shanahan also noted that Democrats are still struggling to recover from major voter losses in the previous election cycle.

Conservative commentators were quick to seize on the numbers following Enten’s remarks. Benny Johnson wrote on X that CNN had delivered “devastating news” for Democrats. RNC Research echoed the sentiment, noting that even Democrats now disapprove of their own party’s performance.

While analysts expect approval ratings to fluctuate as campaigns ramp up, the trajectory is clear for now.

The real verdict will come when voters head to the polls in November 2026.