Democrats Lead GOP in House Control Preference, Quinnipiac Poll Shows
A new Quinnipiac University poll finds 51% of registered voters favor Democratic control of the House, while 39% prefer Republican control, with independents leaning toward Democrats.
A Quinnipiac University national poll released on September 29 shows that 51% of registered voters would like the Democratic Party to control the U.S. House of Representatives, compared with 39% who prefer Republican control. The margin of respondents without an opinion fell to 9% from 13% in the poll conducted earlier in the month.
Among independent voters, 54% favor a Democratic House and 30% a Republican one, with 17% undecided. Approval of congressional performance remains low for both parties: 26% of all voters approve of Republican congressional work, while 67% disapprove; 22% approve of Democratic congressional work, with 69% disapproving. Party members are more favorable toward their own side, with 64% of Republicans approving Republican congressional performance and 49% of Democrats approving Democratic performance.
When asked which party would handle key issues better, Democrats lead on health care (55% to 31%), cost of living (49% to 36%), international conflicts (48% to 40%), the economy (48% to 42%), immigration (47% to 44%), government corruption (45% to 33%) and artificial intelligence (42% to 29%).
"A warning light flashing red for the GOP scrambling to stay in power. From the economy to international conflicts to AI, independent voters are siding with Democrats, even though a vast majority of them disapprove of the job Democrats are currently doing in Congress," said Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy.
President Donald Trump receives 34% approval and 61% disapproval for his overall performance, matching his previous low approval levels. Specific issue approvals for Trump range from 34% on China policy to 25% on AI, with disapproval rates between 58% and 66%.
AI emerges as a prominent voter concern: 71% say they are more likely to support candidates who advocate stricter AI guardrails, while 79% prioritize safety over rapid innovation. Additionally, 73% oppose the construction of AI data centers in their communities, with opposition strongest among Democrats (85%) and independents (76%).
The survey interviewed 1,032 self-identified registered voters between September 24 and 27, using random-digit dialing and live interviewers, yielding a margin of error of ±3.8 percentage points.