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Democrats are deeply pessimistic about future of the party, poll finds

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Published  May 14, 2025 12:31pm EDT
Politics
FOX 5 Atlanta

FILE-Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speak to a full auditorium as part of the "Fighting Oligarchy" tour on April 14, 2025 in Nampa, Idaho. (Photo by Natalie Behring/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Less than 40% of Democrats feel positive about their political party’s future. 
    • The favorability for Democratic leaders is divided among members of the party and Americans.
    • More than half of Democrats admit they don’t feel good about the way political leaders are selected. 

Democrats feel deeply pessimistic about the future of their party, with only roughly one-third saying they are "very optimistic" or even "somewhat optimistic" about their party's future, according to a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

This poll comes as the political party tries to rebound after losing the White House and both chambers of Congress last year. 

Most Democrats are cynical about politics in the U.S.

Dig deeper:

Roughly 7 in 10 Democrats are pessimistic about the state of politics in the U.S., compared to 60% in 2024. While 55% of Democrats admit they are pessimistic about the way our leaders are chosen under our political system.

RELATED: Poll: Increasing number of Democrats say party should become more moderate

However, Republicans are slightly more optimistic about the future of the GOP than they were in 2024. Approximately 55% of Republicans are very or somewhat optimistic about their party's future, up from 47% last summer. Still, only about 3 in 10 Republicans are optimistic about the state of U.S. politics, up from about 1 in 10 last summer.

Democratic leaders get mixed reviews in poll

By the numbers:

Approximately 75% of Democrats have a favorable opinion of Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who has toured the nation in recent months rallying anti-Trump resistance, compared to nearly as many Republicans who have an unfavorable view of him. But roughly 4 in 10 Americans have a favorable view of Sanders.

Fifty-five percent of Democrats have a positive opinion of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, compared with only 8% of Republicans. But Cortez is less popular among Americans with 3 in 10 having a favorable opinion of the 35-year-old politician.

RELATED: Most Americans still want U.S. to take "leading or major world role," poll finds

Meanwhile, Democrats have become less positive about Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority leader, with only 35% of Democrats having a favorable opinion, but Schumer’s favorability with Americans is even lower at only 21%. 

Data was collected from a nationwide poll of 1,175 adults conducted between May 1-5, 2025, using the AmeriSpeak Panel.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll of 1,175 adults conducted between May 1-5, 2025.  This story was reported from Washington, D.C. 

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