US Democrats Gain Favorability Ahead of Presidential Election - Poll

Slightly more than four in 10 Americans (42 percent) view the Democratic Party favorably, while the Republican Party has a favorable rating of 35 percent, according to the Gallup poll.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Ratings for the Democratic party is gaining favorability among US citizens, while Republican approval ratings are slightly falling, according to a new poll released by Gallup on Monday.

“Slightly more than four in 10 Americans (42%) view the Democratic Party favorably, while the Republican Party has a favorable rating of 35%,” the Gallup poll read.

The results of the poll come after the Republican party made significant gains in both the US House and Senate during the 2014 midterm elections.

Gallup says that the higher favorability rating among the Democratic party is more in line with how Americans have seen the party over the course of Barack Obama’s presidency. In 2009, the Democratic party saw a favorable rating at over 50 percent, which dropped to low 40s in 2010.

The poll states that Republican favorability began to rise in late 2013 amid numerous problems the Obama administration faced including the rise of the Islamic State terrorists in Iraq and Syria, cases of Ebola in the United States, as well as the Veterans Affairs falsifying reports to hide how long veterans waited to receive medical attention.

“The Democratic Party has regained its edge over the Republican Party in terms of favorability, another sign that it is recovering from its poor 2014 showing,” the Gallup poll read.

The recent poll also found that favorable ratings for both major US political parties are “close to their historical lows” ahead of the 2016 presidential contest.

The US presidential election is scheduled for November 8, 2016.