Rick Santorum's taken the lead in the Republican Presidential race in North Carolina with 31% to 25% for Mitt Romney and 23% for Newt Gingrich. A month ago Gingrich and Romney were tied for the lead with Santorum running 10 points behind.
Romney's staying competitive in North Carolina despite the fact that GOP voters there are pretty tepid toward him. Only 43% have a favorable opinion and an equal 43% see him negatively. That makes him less popular than both Gingrich (45/41) and Santorum (58/29).
Romney's really benefiting from Gingrich continuing to be strong enough in the South that he splits the conservative vote with Santorum, unlike in other parts of the country where conservatives are increasingly unifying around Santorum as the alternative to Romney. Among voters identifying as 'very conservative' Santorum leads Gingrich 35-32 with Romney at 19%.
If Gingrich dropped out of the race by the time North Carolina votes Santorum would have a much clearer lead with 43% to 33% for Romney and 10% for Paul. The race is still pretty fluid with only 52% of voters saying that they will definitely vote for their current choice.
The picture's a little more clear in the GOP race for Governor. Pat McCrory leads with 57% to 3% for Jim Harney, 2% each for Scott Jones and Jim Mahan, 1% for Charles Kenneth Moss, and 0% for Paul Wright. As much speculation as there was about a challenge to McCrory from the right he actually gets his strongest support from 'very conservative' voters at 62%. 60% of primary voters have a favorable opinion of him to 16% with a negative one.
-72% of voters are undecided for Lieutenant Governor with Dale Folwell at 9%, Dan Forest at 7%, Tony Gurley at 6%, Grey Mills at 4%, and Arthur Jason Rich at 2%. Predictably Folwell leads in the Triad, Forest is up in metro Charlotte, and Gurley has the advantage in the Triangle. This definitely looks like a race that could have a runoff in its future.
-In the race for State Auditor Debra Goldman and Greg Dority separate themselves from the pack a little with 11% each to 5% for Rudy Wright, and 3% each for Fern Shubert and Joseph Hank DeBragga. Dority's polling at double digits in eastern North Carolina, the Triad, and greater Charlotte where he's been on the ballot as a challenger to both Mel Watt and G.K. Butterfield in recent years. Goldman's strength is in the Triangle where she gets 15%.
-Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is in a similar position to Janet Cowell, leading primary challenger Bill McManus 32-12. Troxler's probably not really in any trouble but most GOP voters evidently don't know who he is even after 8 years in statewide office.
-Richard Morgan leads the race for Insurance Commissioner with 16% to 8% for James McCall and 7% for Mike Causey. Morgan is particularly strong in the Triangle where he gets 31%.
-John Tedesco has the early advantage for Superintendent with 12% to 7% for Richard Alexander, 6% for Mark Crawford, 5% for David Scholl, and 4% for Ray Ernest Martin. Tedesco's ahead because he's getting 35% in the Triangle. No one else is above 14% anywhere else.
-Kenn Gardner leads the Secretary of State field with 13% to 9% for Ed Goodwin, 6% for A.J. Daoud, and 4% for Michael Beitler. Gardner's at 18% in the Triangle where he served as a Wake County Commissioner.
-The prize for the race with the most undecideds goes to State Treasurer, where 76% of Republicans don't yet know who they'll vote for. Right now Steve Royal's at 13% and Frank Roche at 12%.
Full results here
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