Fact check: Is it true that Democrats have Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years

1. Summary of the results

The claim that Democrats have their lowest rating from voters in 35 years is strongly supported by multiple polling sources. The evidence shows a consistent pattern of declining Democratic Party approval across different polling organizations:

• The Wall Street Journal polling indicates that 63% of American voters view the Democratic Party negatively, marking the lowest approval rating in more than 30 years of their surveys ^[1]
• Newsweek reporting confirms the Democratic Party's image has deteriorated to its lowest point in over three decades, with only 8% of registered voters viewing the party "very favorably" and 63% saying it's out of touch with everyday American concerns ^[2]
• CNN polling shows just 28% of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably, which represents the lowest mark for Democrats in the entire history of CNN polling ^[3]
• Quinnipiac University polling found that only 19% of respondents approve of how the Democratic Party is handling their job in Congress, representing a historic low since March 2009 ^[4]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks several important contextual elements that would provide a more complete picture:

• Generic ballot performance: While Democratic Party approval is low, the 2026 midterm election generic ballot test shows Democrats at 44% support versus Republicans at 42%, suggesting voters may still prefer Democratic candidates despite party disapproval ^[5]
• Demographic variations: Gen Z voters are beginning to drift back toward the Democratic Party, with 49% leaning Democratic versus 43% Republican, indicating the low ratings may not be uniform across all age groups ^[6]
• Comparative context: The analyses don't provide Republican Party approval ratings for the same time periods, making it difficult to assess whether this represents a Democratic-specific problem or broader anti-establishment sentiment
• Presidential vs. party ratings: President Trump maintains a 46% job approval rating, which is significantly higher than Democratic Party approval, suggesting the issue may be party-specific rather than reflecting overall political dissatisfaction ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement, while factually accurate based on the polling data, presents potential areas for misinterpretation:

• Timeframe precision: The claim uses "35 years" while most sources reference "30+ years" or "over three decades," which could represent slight exaggeration for dramatic effect
• Lack of comparative context: The statement doesn't acknowledge that despite low party approval, Democrats still maintain competitive or leading positions in some electoral metrics, such as the generic congressional ballot ^[5]
• Missing nuance: The statement doesn't distinguish between different types of approval ratings (party favorability vs. congressional job performance vs. candidate preference), which measure different aspects of political support

The core claim remains factually supported by multiple independent polling sources, but the presentation lacks the contextual complexity that would help voters understand the full political landscape.