Politics

Democratic party identification plummets among voters since 2008

Steven Nelson Associate Editor
Font Size:

Republicans have traditionally lagged behind Democrats in voter self-identification, but two years into the Obama presidency the statistics are shifting.

A survey released by Gallup Tuesday indicates that in 2010 a smaller proportion of voters across the country identified as Democrats.

Results reflect a continued trend among southern and Appalachian voters, but the shift is most particularly pronounced in swing states of the Midwest, in the New England states of Maine and New Hampshire, and in Nevada and Colorado.

The same survey conducted in 2008 by Gallup showed that 29 states had a lead in Democratic affiliation of 10 percent or more. Only four states in 2008 had such a lead for Republicans — Utah, Alaska, Wyoming and Idaho.

States where Democrats lead Republicans by more than 10 percent have been reduced to 13. Republicans have solid leads in five states.

Gallup interprets the results, however, as not entirely cause for Republican celebration.

The polling organization writes that, “The Democratic losses have not led to major gains in Republican affiliation. Rather, Gallup finds greater increases in the number of competitive states than in solid or leaning Republican states.”