58% of Voters View Democrats as Too Liberal, Poll Shows

A recent analysis of polling data reveals a significant leftward shift in the Democratic Party's ideological makeup, with a record 58 percent of voters now viewing the party as too liberal. The findings, presented by CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten on February 12, 2026, highlight changes in self-identification among Democrats and growing support for progressive figures, potentially signaling challenges for the party's broader appeal.

Enten drew on surveys to illustrate the evolution. In 2025, 58 percent of all voters described the Democratic Party as too liberal, up from 48 percent in 2013 and 42 percent in 1996. This marks the highest level recorded in nearly three decades of tracking. Among Democrats themselves, the composition has transformed markedly since the late 1990s. Back in 1999, 26 percent of Democrats identified as conservative, while only 5 percent said they were very liberal. Today, those figures have reversed: just 8 percent of Democrats call themselves conservative, and 21 percent identify as very liberal, a quadrupling of the very liberal share.

When combining those who describe themselves as very liberal with those who say they are somewhat liberal, the...