The blue wave in 2018 was undeniable (by everyone, seemingly, except President Donald Trump. Democrats gained 41 seats in the House and lost just two in the Senate — despite facing an overwhelmingly unfavorable map. But with the presidential candidates in the spotlight, the Democratic party’s approval numbers appear to be taking a bit of a dive.

A column in The New York Times Tuesday cited a Pew Research Center survey which found that Americans currently hold an unfavorable view of the Democratic party. According to the poll, 45 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Democrats, compared with 52 percent who hold an unfavorable view. Those numbers mirror the Republican party exactly. The GOP also stands at 45-52 in those metrics.

Last September, ahead of the 2018 midterms, the numbers told a different story. Fifty-three percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of Democrats prior to the election, compared to 42 percent who had an unfavorable opinion. Republicans, meanwhile, boasted just a 43 percent favorable number, with 52 percent unfavorable.

Will these numbers hold until next November? And if so, how will they translate at the ballot box?

(Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP / Getty Images)

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