Fall, rise, whatever...

This is slightly odd:

...during the Clinton years, the Democratic percentages of the popular vote for the House of Representatives fell to 45 percent in 1994, 48.5 percent in 1996, and 49 percent in 1998 and 2000.

1994 was a very bad year for the Democrats in Congress, but if they then went from 45 percent to 49 percent of the popular vote over the next two elections, is the word "fall" really well chosen?