▁elections , ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁majority ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate . ▁ ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁USA ▁Today ▁review ▁of ▁state ▁vot er ▁roll s ▁indicates ▁that ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁registered ▁Democr ats ▁decl ined ▁in ▁ 2 5 ▁of ▁ 2 8 ▁states ▁( some ▁states ▁do ▁not ▁register ▁vot ers ▁by ▁party ). ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁Republican ▁registration ▁also ▁decl ined , ▁as ▁independent ▁or ▁no ▁preference ▁voting ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁rise . ▁ ▁But ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁Democr ats ▁numbers ▁sh rank ▁ 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁they ▁were ▁down ▁by ▁ 1 . 7 ▁million , ▁or ▁ 3 . 9 %. ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁Democratic ▁party ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁with ▁roughly ▁ 6 0 ▁million ▁registered ▁members . ▁ ▁Republican ▁Party ▁ ▁The ▁Republican ▁Party ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁major ▁contemporary ▁political ▁parties ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁America . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁nick named ▁( by ▁the ▁media ) ▁the ▁" Gr and ▁Old ▁Party " ▁ ▁or ▁G OP , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁younger ▁than ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁ ▁F ounded ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁by ▁Northern ▁anti - s la very ▁activ ists ▁and ▁modern izers , ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party ▁rose ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁with