Biden’s Abysmal Approval Rating Hurts Democrat Candidates

President Joe Biden’s low approval rating is hurting Democrats’ chances of retaining control of the Senate, House, and a number of gubernatorial races across the country.

A Civiqs poll released Friday found that only 39% of voters approved of President Joe Biden 18 days before the election. Fifty-two percent were opposed.

The president’s approval rating is a leading indicator for midterm elections. Biden’s low approval rating, which has been hovering in the high 30s for months, suggests that Democrats will struggle to fend off a red wave come November 8.

Biden’s dismal approval rating has had a direct impact on Democratic candidates. Few have requested that the president campaign with them. Some, such as Wisconsin Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, have even refused to appear when he arrives for a rally.

Biden was invited to campaign alongside Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman on Thursday. A reporter asked Biden during the campaign stop if the Democratic candidates are making a mistake by not campaigning with the president.

The reporter asked: “Tim Ryan in Ohio said he doesn’t want you there. Warnock wouldn’t say. Do you think they are making a mistake?”

To this, the president replied: “No, about 16 to 18 I’ve got and a lot more have asked – about 20 or so.”

Axios obtained Air Force One flight logs on October 5 that show Biden has campaigned for fewer candidates than his predecessors. Biden has visited 46 cities and held 11 fundraising events.

The figures pale in comparison to the former presidents’ movements in the 2010 and 2018 midterm elections. According to the report, former President Barack Obama visited 78 cities and held 16 fundraisers, while former President Donald Trump visited 57 cities and held 27 fundraisers.

Biden’s political decision to stay in Washington, D.C., rather than fly around the country bolstering support for House and Senate candidates is noteworthy, given that multiple Democratic candidates appear willing to go without the president’s ability to drive campaign fundraising and local media attention.

Democrats in traditionally blue areas of the country have turned to Biden for assistance. Biden was in Oregon last week to support Tina Kotek, a Democratic candidate for governor who is in danger of losing to Republican candidate Christie Drazan. He also campaigned for Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and visited California, one of the bluest states in the country.

“We’ve been very clear that the president is going to go out, the vice president is going to go out,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary. “They’re going to talk about the successes that we have seen in this administration in the last 19 months.”
With the election just over two weeks away, Biden will be on vacation in Delaware this weekend.

The Civiqs poll received 266,376 responses on average between January 20, 2021, and October 20, 2022. The Civiqs tracking model captures changes in attitudes of various groups over time across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. These changes can occur quickly or gradually.

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