Independent voters shift toward Democrats ahead of US midterms: poll

The shift is also reflected among voters who identify directly with a political party. Read:Pro-Israel lobby spends big on US midterms as backlash grows. Nationwide, 31% now identify as Democrats, up from 28% when Trump took office.

A majority of voters continue to identify as neither Republican nor Democrat, although that share has fluctuated during Trump's second term. The figures give Democrats their largest advantage over Republicans since 2008, according to. The New York Times.

The nine-point decline since the fourth quarter of 2022 among independent voters who lean Republican could pose a challenge for Republican candidates seeking to attract centrist voters in competitive races. Trump's approval rating hassteadily declinedduring his second term, adding to Republican concerns ahead of the midterms.

Read More:Trump heads into midterms short on foreign policy wins. Although Trump campaigned heavily on cost-of-living pressures that emerged under former President Joe Biden, inflation has remained above the Federal Reserve's 2% target since theconflict in Iranbegan in February.

Voters have increasingly pointed totensions in the Middle Eastand higher costs linked to disruptions to shipping throughthe Strait of Hormuzas reasons for withdrawing support from Trump. Republicans are also hoping that prominent socialist figures in the Democratic Party, including New York City Mayor.

Zohran Mamdaniand. Abdul el Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Michigan, could help them in closely contested races. The Republican National Committee is holding a campaign-style convention in Texas this week to promote what it describes as a contrast of "common sense versus crazy.

"Gallup's survey was based on a combined random sample of more than 3,000 US adults and has a margin of error of two percentage points.