---
title: "Centrists Deliver for Democrats"
description: "The political center forcefully asserted itself in Tuesday’s midterms. The national exit poll showed that political independents, who divided their votes evenly between George Bush and John Kerry in 2004, swung decisively in favor of the Democrats. With roughly nine-in-ten Republicans and Democrats casting ballots for representatives of their parties, just as they did two […]"
date: "2006-11-08"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2006/11/08/centrists-deliver-for-democrats-2/"
categories:
  - "Election 2006"
  - "George W. Bush"
---

# Centrists Deliver for Democrats

The political center forcefully asserted itself in Tuesday's midterms. The national exit poll showed that political independents, who divided their votes evenly between George Bush and John Kerry in 2004, swung decisively in favor of the Democrats. With roughly nine-in-ten Republicans and Democrats casting ballots for representatives of their parties, just as they did two years ago, the Democrats' 57%-39% advantage among independents proved crucial.

[Read the full analysis at pewresearch.org](https://www.pewresearch.org/2006/11/08/centrists-deliver-for-democrats/)