House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday touted Gallup’s latest generic ballot poll, which shows a razor-thin edge for his party, as evidence of a recent “resurgence of Democrats throughout the country.”

The Maryland Democrat attributed the numbers to voter backlash over recent victories by tea party candidates in Republican primaries.

The Gallup survey released Monday showed Republicans trailing Democrats by 1 point. Hoyer chided reporters for ignoring the latest numbers after having focused so heavily on a similar poll three weeks ago showing a 10-point GOP advantage, the largest lead for either party since Gallup began its midterm elections generic ballot polling more than 60 years ago.

Hoyer said the latest survey shows a shift in voter opinion about Democrats heading into the Nov. 2 elections.

“That’s an 11-point turnaround in less than 21 days,” Hoyer said. “That doesn’t sound like a death knell to me. That sounds like a party that’s on the move.”

Hoyer said the recent turnaround could be attributed to tea party victories in states such as Delaware, adding that the public was “becoming more and more aware of the radical policies being proposed by some Republican nominees and by the assertion that they want to return to the exact same failed agenda. … That’s what I think is happening. … I think there’s a resurgence of Democrats throughout the country.”

Democratic lawmakers and aides have sought in recent weeks to dismiss Gallup’s generic ballot poll, arguing that it has been all over the map this campaign cycle. Democrats also insist that they have been buoyed by a series of recent race-specific polls showing Democratic incumbents and challengers running even with or ahead of their Republican opponents.