Republicans appear to be losing suburban voters. That's a bad sign for 2018.

Yard signs for Doug Jones
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

With the caveat that a year is a long time in politics, the 2018 midterms are looking increasingly challenging for the Republican Party. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday, 50 percent of registered voters said they'd prefer Democrats control Congress versus 39 percent who picked Republicans — the best numbers for Democrats since before their 2008 wave. "All in all, I think a 41 percent Trump approval and an +11D lead in the control of Congress definitely puts control of the Senate and the House as more doable for Democrats in 2018," said Democratic pollster Fred Yang.

Democrats enjoyed a 20-point lead among women, a 2-point advantage among men, and a 48-point lead among voters 18 to 34; they lost whites without a college education by 12 points, NBC News says. But that gives Democrats a long-awaited opening in the suburbs. "From Texas to Illinois, Kansas to Kentucky, there are Republican districts filled with college-educated, affluent voters who appear to be abandoning their usually conservative leanings," The New York Times reports, continuing:

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.