A Quinnipiac University national poll released on September 11, 2026, indicates that voters favor the Democratic Party over the Republican Party by 11 points regarding control of the United States House of Representatives. If the election were held today, 49 percent of registered voters would prefer the Democratic Party to win control, while 38 percent would favor the Republican Party, with 13 percent undecided. This marks a slight change from a previous poll on July 29, where 48 percent supported Democrats and 41 percent supported Republicans.
The poll also reveals that 21 percent of voters approve of the Democrats' performance in Congress, while 70 percent disapprove. For Republicans, 26 percent approve and 67 percent disapprove. When asked which party is more in touch with the public's concerns, 46 percent chose the Democratic Party, 35 percent the Republican Party, and 13 percent saw no difference. Tim Malloy, a polling analyst at Quinnipiac University, noted that while neither party received high approval ratings, Democrats were perceived as more empathetic to voters' concerns.
In terms of President Donald Trump's performance, 33 percent of voters approve of his job as president, while 59 percent disapprove. This is a slight increase from his all-time low approval of 32 percent recorded in the July 29 poll. Voters were also asked about Trump's handling of various issues, including immigration, military leadership, foreign policy, and the economy, with disapproval ratings consistently high across these areas.
Regarding U.S.-Canada relations, 56 percent of voters believe Trump is too tough on Canada, while 28 percent think his stance is appropriate. Additionally, 70 percent oppose Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, and 60 percent disapprove of the White House ballroom construction project.
In terms of military leadership, 32 percent of voters approve of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's performance, with 57 percent disapproving. This represents the lowest approval rating for Hegseth in Quinnipiac polls. Similarly, 36 percent approve of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s performance, while 54 percent disapprove.
On political affiliations, 32 percent of voters identify as supporters of Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, while 65 percent do not. Among Republicans, 79 percent support the MAGA movement. Conversely, 26 percent of voters support the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), with 66 percent not supporting it.
When asked about U.S. military operations against Iran, 39 percent of voters expressed a preference for keeping military operations ongoing, though the specific options were not detailed in the report.