Stunning new poll reveals drastic turn in midterm elections

Democrats got a gut check with a new poll from Quinnipiac University showing that their lead in the generic ballot had been sliced by half for the midterm elections.

'Blue wave' loses momentum

The Quinnipiac University poll found that Democrats had a generic ballot lead of 7 points, with 49 percent of Americans saying they'd vote for a Democrat while 42 percent said they'd vote for a Republican.

This lead represents half of the advantage the Democrats had in the same poll from September, when 52 percent of Americans said they'd vote for Democrats, while only 38 percent said they supported Republicans.

"The numbers suggest the big blue wave may have lost some of its momentum as House races tighten," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,111 likely voters across the country at the end of September. The poll has a plus or minus 3.7 percentage point margin of error.

Here's the latest on the midterm elections: