New Data: Government Shutdown Costing Democrats Heavily with Black, Working-Class, and Young Voters

By Manzanita Miller 

With the Senate adjourning Thursday afternoon with no resolution on the extended government-shutdown, Democrats are digging a hole they may not be able to climb out of. Congressional Democrats holding the federal government hostage until their healthcare-for-illegals demand is met has ramifications for funding programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and new survey data shows the shutdown is costing Democrats heavily with Black voters, young people, and working-class voters.  

An Economist/YouGov survey released Sept. 29 showed 70 percent of Black voters planned to support Democrats in the generic congressional ballot for the midterm cycle, but that number has plummeted sixteen points in one month according to the latest survey released Oct. 27. The latest survey shows only 54 percent of Black voters plan to support Democrats, a catastrophic blow to the party even if it partially martializes.

Soft Democrats, or those who say they are independent but lean Democrat, are snatching back their intention to support Democrats in the midterm cycle as well, with support for Congressional Democrats dropping eight points among leaners in the past month. 94 percent of soft Democrats planned to support Democrats in the midterm cycle in late September, but that has fallen to 86 percent today.

Democrats have also suffered a five-percentage-point decline among young voters, with 50 percent of voters under age 30 planning to support Democrats in the midterm cycle in late September, compared to 45 percent now.

Democrats’ shutdown antics are also costing them with working-class voters. Congressional Democrats have experienced a four percentage-point decline in support among working-class Americans, signaling trouble for the party’s plans to court voters they have been losing to the GOP for five major election cycles now. Democrats went from 40 percent of the vote among those earning up to $50,000 in late September to 36 percent now.    

The past month has been marked by political ups and downs, with President Donald Trump brokering a tentative peace deal between Israel and Hamas that appears to be holding for the most part despite challenges. October has also been marked by the government shutdown, with many Americans concerned about the extension of government services. Democrats are holding the federal government hostage in an attempt to force through an extension to their healthcare-for-illegals scheme, but that stubbornness appears to be costing them with Black, working-class, and young voters.

As reported by CNN, food stamp programs are at risk of being cut for the month of November if Congress does not come to a solution, and this puts vulnerable populations at risk. Congressional Democrats refusal to put American citizens first and come to the table to reach a deal with Republicans to reopen the federal government could be detrimental to the party in the midterms.

Manzanita Miller is the senior political analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation.