July 19, 2010 Democrats Jump Into Six-Point Lead on Generic Ballot At the same time, Republican enthusiasm for voting in November surges by Lydia Saad. PRINCETON, NJ -- In the same week the U.S. Senate passed a major financial reform bill touted as reining in Wall Street, Democrats pulled ahead of Republicans, 49% to 43%, in voters' generic ballot preferences for the 2010 congressional elections.