Polling News

More Democrats Favor Party Moderation

February 20, 2025

Just three months after Republicans dominated the 2024 elections, a new Gallup poll found a plurality of Democrats want to see their party moderate, or make some changes following their losses. A plurality of Republicans want their party to maintain the status quo. 

By The Numbers:

  • Forty-five percent of Democrats and Democrat leaning independents said they want to see the Democratic Party become more moderate, up from 34% in 2021. Only 27% of Republicans and Republican leaning independents said they want their party to grow more moderate, virtually unchanged from the 24% in 2021. 

  • Fewer Democrats now want to see their party grow more liberal–only 29% in 2025 compared to 34% in 2021. And fewer Democrats want the party to stay the same– just 22% in 2025 compared to 31% in 2021. 

  • Republicans are more content with the party’s current state. Only 28% said they want the party to grow more conservative, a big drop from the 40% who said the same in 2021. Forty-three percent said they want the party to remain the same, up from 34% in 2021.  

The Bottom Line: These numbers underscore the dissatisfaction Democrats have with their own party.  If last fall’s election results weren’t enough, these numbers confirm that more Democrats see their party as out of touch and tilted to the fringe left. If they are to win more elections again, they’ll need to back to a message that resonates beyond the radical interests of their small increasingly leftwing base.

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