Sad John Boehner
Dems fared a bit better than Republicans, like Speaker John Boehner (pictured), in a new poll on Americans' views of Congress. Reuters

The U.S. Congress has been much maligned and a new poll from the Washington Post indicates a record-high disapproval rate for individual local representatives. Of the 1,026 adults surveyed, 51 percent did not approve of their local congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Of those polled, 30 percent strongly disapproved of their representative, while 41 percent approved. For registered voters, 48 percent disapproved, while 46 percent approved.

The Democratic party fared better than the Republican party in the poll, with 49 percent of those surveyed reporting a favorable opinion of the Democratic party. Meanwhile, 60 percent of all adults had an unfavorable opinion of Republicans.

The latest poll marks the first time the disapproval rate was above 50 percent. The approval rate was in line with October’s rate, 43 percent, notes the Washington Post.

Congress as a whole is generally considered a problem, with Gallup’s most recent poll reporting a 15 percent approval rate.

It’s unclear what these polls mean for incumbents and the upcoming primaries. There are several primaries on Tuesday, with House races in Kansas, Washington and Michigan.