Former Clinton pollster Mark Penn raised alarms Friday night about the state of the Democratic Party, pointing to historic lows in national favorability ratings and a shrinking voter base that threatens the party’s electoral viability. During an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity, Penn cited recent polling data from CNN/SSRS showing the Democratic Party’s favorability rating plummeting to 29%. The poll, conducted March 6-9, marked a sharp decline from the party’s previous standing at 47%, according to Penn.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in over 40 years of polling,” Penn said. “The Democratic Party ratings have collapsed from a 47% favorable down to 29, 27 in some of these polls, and that’s an incredible loss of moderate, working-class voters.”
Penn, who served as a top adviser to President Bill Clinton and later worked with Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign, said the party’s support has narrowed to a more progressive base, alienating moderates and independents who were once key to Democratic victories.
“Those [are the] kinds of voters that the Democratic Party needs to win elections, and it’s being shrunk to a base of left-wing advocates like Bernie Sanders and AOC who were touring the country carrying the Democratic banner. That’s not helping,” Penn added, referencing Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
The polling collapse follows a major political shift in the 2024 elections, in which Republicans reclaimed control of the White House and secured majorities in both the House and Senate.
In response, national Democratic organizations—including the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and the Association of State Democratic Committees—launched a new campaign dubbed the “People’s Town Halls.”
That tour began last Friday in Iowa and is targeting Republican-held districts across the country.
Party officials say the effort is meant to rebuild trust with voters and push back against Republican messaging, particularly in battleground states where Democrats suffered key losses. The Democrats’ opposition strategy has focused heavily on the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created under President Donald Trump and currently led by Elon Musk.
DOGE has implemented major workforce reductions across federal agencies, part of a broader initiative to reduce government spending and bureaucracy. While DOGE has received support from fiscal conservatives and portions of the public, it has sparked fierce resistance from Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez took to social media earlier this week to criticize the Trump-backed government funding bill, calling it a “slush fund” for Trump and Musk.
In contrast, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania criticized his own party’s response to the bill, suggesting that the resistance amounted to posturing.
“Total theater,” Fetterman said in a public statement, adding to internal Democratic tensions over strategy and messaging.
As Democrats seek to regroup following their 2024 defeats, Penn’s remarks suggest deepening concerns within the party’s establishment over its ability to connect with the voters it once relied on. With favorability ratings falling and leadership splintered over how to respond to President Trump’s policy agenda, party officials face mounting pressure to reassess their direction ahead of the 2026 midterms.
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