More than half of top Democratic Hill staffers say Senate Majority Leader John Thune is the most effective congressional leader, according to our latest Canvass survey.
Democrats chose Thune at a higher rate than their own party leaders: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (34%) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (8%).
GOP leadership. The survey comes as Thune has been at odds with Speaker Mike Johnson during the past month over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, extension of the FISA Section 702 program and much more. Johnson got a mere 2% approval from Democrats as being an effective leader.
The GOP leadership infighting over how to end the DHS shutdown and the FISA cliff heightened frustrations between House and Senate Republicans. House GOP hardliners have vented at Thune over the Senate’s rejection of some of their priorities, including a central bank digital currency ban that was attached to a FISA reauthorization bill.
Still, Thune’s strategic moves on DHS funding and a short-term FISA patch won out last week, even as it took Johnson several weeks to get there on DHS.
But GOP congressional leaders have new deadlines to tackle this month. Thune will be busy trying to pass a second reconciliation bill and a longer-term FISA extension when Congress comes back next week.
Election odds. While Republicans have several issues they still want to address this session, their time is running short as Democrats are widely favored to pick up seats in the upcoming midterms.
Nearly all (89%) top Hill staffers said the Democratic party is in a stronger position than the GOP heading into the campaign season.
Primaries have already started in states across the country, though the recent Supreme Court ruling that limits the 1965 Voting Rights Act could still shake things up and net the GOP a couple seats this year.
The Canvass Capitol Hill was conducted April 6-24 in partnership with independent public affairs firm, LSG.
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