New survey data show that public support for Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court is steadily rising.
A Morning Consult/Politico poll released Wednesday found that 48 percent of respondents favor Barrett's confirmation, with just 31 percent opposed. That's up 11 points from the Sept. 26 announcement of her nomination, when Morning Consult pegged support for her confirmation at 37 percent.
Support for Barrett has climbed among independents and even Democrats. Independents favor her confirmation 38-31, up 10 points from Sept. 26. A quarter of Democratic voters believe she should be confirmed, up from 14 percent in September.
Opposition to her nomination is strongest among Democratic women, at 59 percent. Women overall favor her confirmation 40-35.
The figures suggest that Democratic process arguments related to the election, and their dire warnings about the fate of the Affordable Care Act, have failed to move public opinion. Respondents favor her confirmation as soon as possible 44-36, regardless of who wins the election. Public opinion on that point was evenly divided immediately after the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, according to prior Morning Consult data.
The survey was completed on Oct. 11, one day before Barrett's hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee began. Most observers gave Barrett approving reviews over the first two days of statements and questioning. A strong performance on her part on Wednesday, her final day before the panel, would round out a successful outing and likely solidify growing support for her nomination.
Barring startling last-minute revelations or another outbreak of the coronavirus on Capitol Hill, a confirmation vote is expected at the end of October. Wednesday's poll was conducted from Oct. 9 to Oct. 11 and reached approximately 2,000 voters. The margin of error was 2 percent.