ECU elections poll shows competitive presidential and senate races in NC

Published Jul 13, 2020 by
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ECU’s Center for Survey Research has released its latest poll on how N.C. voters are leaning ahead of the 2020 elections. (File photo by Cliff Hollis)

On June 30, East Carolina University’s Center for Survey Research released its latest poll showing a very close race for president between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. Biden leads Trump among registered North Carolina voters by one percentage point (45% to 44%).

Incumbent Republican Thom Tillis faces Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham for U.S. Senate. The poll shows registered voters in the state evenly split (41% to 41%).

In the race for governor, Democratic incumbent Roy Cooper has a lead of 11 percentage points over Republican challenger Dan Forest (49% to 38%). The governor’s approval ratings remain high according to the poll with about 52% of registered voters in North Carolina approving of Cooper’s overall job performance.

“If the election was today, North Carolina would be one of the most competitive states in the nation in contests for president and U.S. Senate,” said Dr. Peter Francia, director of the ECU Center for Survey Research.

In addition to significant political races, the poll addresses coronavirus and how North Carolinians feel about the guidance of our leaders during this time.

Overall, 62% of people polled reported that they were “worried” or “very worried” about the spread of coronavirus cases in North Carolina, and 1 in 3 voters said their household economic situation had gotten worse since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Cooper’s overall and coronavirus approval ratings have declined since a previous ECU poll conducted in May, but 53% of those polled continue to approve of Cooper’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the state.

When asked about Trump’s handling of the federal government’s response to the coronavirus, 42% percent approve compared to 51% who disapprove.

The poll was conducted June 22-25.

Polls conducted by ECU’s CSR have been featured in several national media outlets including MSN, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal.

Related story: COVID-19 & Politics