Control of Congress Matters Most to Tea Partiers, Republicans

In Gallup polling conducted barely a week before the midterm elections, 49% of Americans say the issue of which party controls Congress matters a great deal to them, a sentiment that rises to 70% among Tea Party supporters, 67% among Republicans, and 63% among conservatives. Just over half of Tea Party opponents, as well as liberals and Democrats, say the political leadership of Congress matters greatly to them.

Among registered voters who attach a great deal of importance to the political balance in Congress, 55% say they intend to vote for the Republican candidate in their own district, while 43% would vote for the Democrat. Among those who think the party in the majority is less important, the plurality (48%) intend to vote Democratic.