Tight fight for president, Stein's lead widens in governor's race, new NC poll finds
Republican Donald Trump leads Democrat Joe Biden with third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earning nearly 10% of the vote, according to a new Meredith Poll. Meanwhile, unaffiliated voters are boosting Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, who leads Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in the race for governor.
Posted — UpdatedBut the state’s voters have put a Democrat in the governor’s mansion in seven of the last eight elections, held at the same time as the presidential vote.
North Carolina could be headed toward a similar split in 2024, according to a new Meredith College poll released Monday. The Raleigh-based Meredith Poll found Trump with a slight edge, while Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein held a solid edge over Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in the race to be the state’s next governor.
The Meredith Poll found Trump with 41% support and Biden with 39%. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received 9% of the vote. Kennedy, environmental lawyer and longtime anti-vaccine activist, plans to be on the ballot in North Carolina as the nominee of the We The People Party.
The Meredith Poll was conducted between April 11 and April 17 and sampled 711 registered voters for the presidential ballot question. It has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. A credibility interval is similar to a margin of error but takes into account more factors and is considered by some pollsters to be a more accurate measurement of statistical certainty.
Kennedy, according to the Meredith Poll, is doing best among voting groups that tend to back Biden or Democrats – moderate, younger, highly educated and Black voters. Kennedy is attracting 15% from self-identified moderates, 15% from voters under the age of 40, 12% from those with graduate and professional degrees and 12% from Black voters.
“In a race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump that is expected to be close, the impact of Robert F. Kennedy could affect the outcome,” Meredith Poll director David McLennan said in a statement.
Gubernatorial race
In the governor’s race, Stein leads Robinson 45% to 36%, buoyed by a big edge among unaffiliated voters, who make up the largest bloc of registered voters in North Carolina. Stein leads Robinson among women and men and among every age group in the poll.
“Stein’s improved position relative to Robinson may be due to several factors,” McLennan said. “Robinson continues to get negative media coverage of his statements and actions from the past. This enhanced exposure of Robinson’s extreme statements, as well as concerns that some of Robinson’s policy positions, seems to be shifting the unaffiliated voters into Stein’s camp.”
Previous polls
Someone else 4%
Undecided 8%
Biden 46%
Biden 45%
Biden 39%
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