Democrats lead Republicans by about 8 points on the generic congressional ballot, according to an Emerson College and The Hill poll, with 50.7% of likely voters backing a Democrat, 43% a Republican and 6.3% undecided. The survey adds to concerns about Republicans’ prospects of maintaining control of Congress in this year’s midterm elections, amid President Trump’s 40.4% approval rating, 56.3% disapproval rating, the unpopular Iran war and questions about the economy. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he was worried that Republicans lacked a clear message explaining why voters should keep them in the majority. He questioned the party’s economic plan for 2027 and cited competitive races in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Arizona. The poll was conducted Aug. 16-17 among 1,000 likely voters, with a credibility interval of plus or minus 3 percentage points.