Forty-five percent (45%) of American voters say they would currently vote for the Democrat in their district while 35% would pull the voting lever for a Republican. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found 6% favoring a third-party option while 15% are not sure.

Democrats lead by five percentage points among men, by fourteen points among women. Nancy Pelosi’s party holds a staggering 30-percentage point lead among voters under 30. Separate surveys have shown that a declining number of Americans now identify themselves as Republicans.

The poll also found that, for the first time since Election 2006, a plurality of voters view Congressional Democrats as politically liberal. Forty-one percent (41%) of voters believe most Democrats in Congress are politically liberal while 39% say they are politically moderate. That’s a significant shift to the left since the Democrats formally took control of Congress in January. Last December, just 32% viewed the Democrats as politically liberal while 44% viewed them as moderates (see tracking history).

Perceptions of Republicans have changed little this year. Forty-seven percent (47%) believe most Republicans in Congress are politically conservative while 34% believe most GOP Representatives are moderate.

Forty-one percent (41%) of American voters believe it is Very Likely that Democrats will retain control of Congress following the next election. Another 27% say it is Somewhat Likely the Democrats will retain control. Just 21% disagree and expect control of Congress to change in the 2008 elections.

Rasmussen Reports regularly tracks public attitudes towards Congress, the War on Terror, and other topics. Rasmussen Reports also continuously updates favorability ratings and general election match-ups for all Democratic and Republican candidates along with ratings for Members of Congress, Other Political Figures, and Journalists.

Rasmussen Reports releases updated polling data on the Republican nominating contest every Tuesday. Results for the Democrats are updated on Mondays.