Democrats hold 11-point lead for House control in new Quinnipiac poll

A recent survey found 49% of voters would prefer Democrats take control of the House of Representatives, compared to 38% for Republicans.(CN) — Two months out from the midterms, Quinnipiac University found in a poll released Thursday that Democrats have an 11-point lead over Republicans for who voters want to see take control of the U.S. House of Representatives.Pollsters conducted a nationwide survey of 970 registered voters Sept. 3-6 and found that 49% would prefer Democrats win control of the House, while 38% want Republicans to win the House. Thirteen percent did not offer an opinion.The pollsters found voters do not particularly approve of how either party’s members of Congress are doing their jobs, with a 21% approval rating for Democrats in Congress and a 26% approval rating for Republicans. Forty-six percent of voters said Democrats are the party more in touch with the concerns of most Americans, while 35% said Republicans are more in touch.“Which political party is most inclined to have your back? While neither gets high marks generally, the Democrats are judged more empathetic when it comes to the concerns of voters,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement.President Donald Trump received a 59% disapproval rating from voters, who also gave him his lowest approval ratings ever in Quinnipiac polls for his handling of the economy, his job as commander in chief of the U.S. military and his handling of the Russia-Ukraine war. Six out of 10 voters also said they disapprove of Trump’s construction of a White House ballroom, which the U.S. Supreme Court gave a green light to last week.“The new ballroom? Voters view it as a bad idea, and they are even more negative about the name change for Lake Ontario,” Malloy said, referencing Trump’s announcement last month that he is renaming the body of water Lake America, which Quinnipiac found 70% of voters oppose.The name change comes amid a trade war between the U.S. and Canada, with the two countries slapping each other with punishing tariffs. The survey team found 62% of voters oppose the way Trump is handling trade with Canada. Fifty-six percent think he is being too tough on Canada, while 28% feel the president’s attitude toward the U.S.’ northern neighbor is “about right,” and just 7% think he is not being tough enough.Meanwhile, as the U.S.’ war with Iran rages on, voters are divided on the best way to handle it. Thirty-nine percent think the U.S. should keep military forces there while negotiating a peace deal, 30% want to withdraw military forces without a deal, and 22% want to increase operations against Iran.“In the seventh month of the Iran war, the options range from keeping American forces at the ready while looking for a deal, to walking away, to waging all-out war until Iran surrenders,” Malloy said. “While holding fire and negotiating is preferred by roughly 4 out of 10 voters, a majority is split between getting out entirely or going all in.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads