Nov 03, 2023
House Speaker Mike Johnson received bad news for Republicans‘ chances of holding a majority in Congress after the November 2024 elections, according to a poll published Friday.
GOP Congress members elected Johnson, of Louisiana, to the speakership late last month following weeks of internal turmoil about who should lead the party following former Speaker Kevin McCarthy‘s ousting. Johnson inherited a deeply divided House, with Republicans having only a four-seat advantage over Democrats, and remain fractured among themselves over issues such as the Russia-Ukraine war and whether to impeach President Joe Biden.
Johnson is tasked with navigating these divides, meaning he must retain support from the GOP conference’s conservative hardliners while also appeasing moderates from battleground districts, many of whom are expected to have challenging reelection races next November. Meanwhile, the new House speaker has only two weeks to pass a series of appropriations bills to continue funding the federal government and avert a shutdown.
He must also work to restore Republicans image in competitive congressional districts. A poll released Friday by progressive polling firm Navigator Research that was conducted among swing district voters found that Republicans’ approval in these areas slipped in recent months amid chaos surrounding the speaker race and concerns about a looming government shutdown.
The poll found that GOP approval has dropped double digits since the summer. House Republicans are underwater with a 22 point disapproval rating as of October, according to the poll. In July, House Republicans had a disapproval rating of only 12 points.
Democrats, meanwhile, have held steady, having a 10 point disapproval rating in both July and October. The poll surveyed 1,500 likely voters across 61 battleground districts from October 19 to 25. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Newsweek reached out to Johnson’s office for comment via email.
Democratic incumbents in these districts tend to have higher approval ratings than their GOP counterparts, according to the poll. Democratic members of Congress representing swing districts have an average approval rating of 9, while Republican incumbents have a disapproval rating of 7.
Several Republican members of Congress are set to face challenging reelection races next November, defending districts won by Biden in 2020 and is expected to carry again next year.
According to The Cook Political Report, an organization that tracks elections across the United States, 15 House Republicans are in toss-up races, compared to only nine Democrats.
Meanwhile, GOP Representative George Santos of New York who represents a suburban Long Island congressional district that backed Biden by 8 points, is viewed as being in a “Lean Democrat” race. Santos has faced ethical and legal scandals since taking office.
Additionally, several members from both parties have been drawn into districts that will be more difficult to defend after congressional maps in Alabama, Louisiana and North Carolina were redrawn.
https://www.newsweek.com/mike-johnson-gets-bad-news-about-2024-elections-1840696
To be truthful, as a Republican, I never thought in all my life that such news as this would please me.
It’s become apparent that the Democrats have a better understanding about what makes America great than certain so-called conservative Republican hardliners (CRH). I’m still searching for a better term for the CRH. Maybe supporters of fascist ideas, or big mouthed trumpists, or brainless morons. At any rate, throwing a brave nation like Ukraine under the bus has absolutely nothing to do with MAGA. It’s a complete disgrace, and I’m deeply ashamed that they are members of the GOP.
Ditto… OFP. How about “assholes” for CRH
Sure, why not?
If one would not have told me Mike is from Louisiana i would not have believed it. Where is his long black beard, where is the intellect and professionalism? I’m out!
He’s got glasses. 🤓
But, they don’t help his image because they only make him look smarter than he really is.
Of course the polls are dropping; the house GOP is acting like a bunch of heathens!
I have never seen or even heard of such a congressional cluster fuck in all of my life.
Hopefully this poll drop will carry over to the Trumpsters it will spell the end of that nightmare as well.
That makes two of us. The House is becoming a total disgrace. A few rotten apples have managed to ruin the whole barrel.
That’s good news for the USA, and good news for Ukraine!