Republicans boast record-high favorability rating, poll finds. What about Democrats?

The Republican Party is riding a wave of unprecedented popularity, even though more registered voters still view it unfavorably, according to new polling.

The Democratic Party, meanwhile, finds itself in a more unenviable position in the polling.

In the latest Quinnipiac University poll, 43% of respondents said they have a favorable opinion of the GOP, marking the highest such rating since the polling outfit started asking this question in 2008. Still though, 45% said they have an unfavorable opinion.

The vast majority of Republicans (87%), about half of men (48%) and roughly one-third of independents (36%) expressed a favorable opinion of the Republican Party.

On the flip side, nearly all Democrats (84%), about half of independents (48%), half of women (51%) and just a fraction of Republicans (7%) had an unfavorable view.

The GOP’s boost in likability is likely tied to President Donald Trump’s return to power, Tim Malloy, a polling analyst at Quinnipiac, told McClatchy News.

“There tends to be, in so many elections we survey, a honeymoon period for the candidates and therefore even the party,” Malloy said. “Does it last? Not usually.”

The Democratic Party’s situation, however, could scarcely be more different.

Just 31% of respondents said they have a favorable view of the party, while a strong majority, 57%, expressed an unfavorable opinion — marking the highest such rating since 2008. The findings also mark the largest favorability advantage that the GOP has had over the Democratic Party since 2008.

The overwhelming majority of Republicans (90%), two-thirds of men (67%), more than half of independents (59%) and a small share of Democrats (15%) said they disliked the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, most Democrats (77%), more than one-third of women (39%) and less than one-quarter of men and independents (22%) expressed a favorable view of the party.

“The Democrats have a lot of ground to try to regain,” Malloy said. “And that vulnerability may be reflected in stronger GOP numbers.”

The poll, conducted between Jan. 23 and 27, sampled 1,019 registered voters, and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 9:07 AM with the headline "Republicans boast record-high favorability rating, poll finds. What about Democrats?."