Both Republicans and Democrats optimistic about future of their parties % of Republicans and Republican % of Democrats and Democratic leaners Republicans Republican who are about Republican the future leaners who are about the future of the Republican Party
Less than a month before the 2018 midterm elections, Republicans and Democrats hold positive outlooks about the future of their respective parties, and in both cases these views are more positive than they were a year ago.
Three-quarters of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they are optimistic about the future of the Republican Party, up 16 percentage points from September 2017, when 59% felt this way, according to a new national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted Sept. 24-Oct. 7 among 10,683 adults on the American Trends Panel.
The current level of optimism among Republicans is similar to what it was immediately following Donald Trump’s election in December 2016 (79%).
Democrats have a similarly bright outlook for their party – 77% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say they are optimistic about the party’s future.
Both Republicans and Democrats optimistic about  | future of their parties  | % of Republicans and Republican  | % of Democrats and Democratic  | leaners Republicans Republican who are about Republican the future leaners who are  | about the future  | of the Republican Party  | of the Democratic Party  | Optimistic  | Pessimistic  | Optimistic  | Pessimistic  | 79  | 77  | 77  | 75  | 64  | 61  | 59  | 61  | 20  | 21  | 21  | 24  | 34  | 38  | 39  | 39  | Dec  | Sept  | Oct  | Dec  | Sept  | Oct  | Nov  | Nov  | 2016  | 2017  | 2018  | 2016  | 2017  | 2018  | 2016  | 2016  | Note: Don't know responses not shown.  | Source: Survey of US adults conducted Sept 24:0ct. 7, 2018.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 