Raleigh, N.C. – Democrats control both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly, but they still trail generic Republican candidates, 50-42, essentially the same as last month’s 49-41.  As in the generic congressional ballot, undecided independents have moved toward the Democrats since August, but that improvement has been offset by a consolidation of the GOP and a decline in party unity among Democrats.

Governor Bev Perdue’s approval rating has inched up to 35-51—still poor, but an improvement over August’s 30-52.  56% of voters think Perdue has conducted her job in 2010 at about the same level as she did in her first year, but more, 27%, think she has done worse than the 18% who think she has improved.  By a 48-36 margin, North Carolinians think the governor has been ineffective in communicating to them.  Perdue continues to get tepid numbers from her own partymates, less than 60% of whom think she is doing a good job in office and letting Tar Heels know what she has done.  More than 70% of Republicans and greater than 60% of independents are down on her.

Attorney General Roy Cooper, who had considered challenging Perdue in the 2008 Democratic gubernatorial primary, and who President Obama tried to recruit to face Richard Burr for U.S. Senate this year, is not very well known, but is pretty well liked by those who do have an opinion, with a 31-19 job approval mark. 

“It’s not a coincidence that Bev Perdue continues to be extremely unpopular and voters are generally leaning toward supporting Republicans for the Legislature,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.  “If voters don’t like the person in the Governor’s office that tends to make it hard on their party’s candidates.  But Democrats in North Carolina have a long history of winning in very tough districts and if that continues this year it will be very close as to which party gets control of the House and Senate.”

PPP surveyed 681 likely North Carolina voters from September 23^rd to 26^th.  The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.8%.  Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.

Complete results are attached, and can be found at www.publicpolicypolling.com.

Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 If there was an election for the state legislature
today, would you vote Democratic or
Republican?
Democratic……………………………………………… 42%
Republican……………………………………………… 50%
Undecided………………………………………………. 8%

Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Bev
Perdue’s job performance?
Approve…………….. 35%
Disapprove………… 51%
Not sure ……………. 14%

Q3 In her second year as Governor do you think
Bev Perdue is doing a better job, a worse job,
or about the same as she did last year?
Better ……………….. 18%
Worse……………….. 27%
About the same….. 56%

Q4 Do you think Bev Perdue has been effective or
ineffective in communicating with the people of
North Carolina during her time as Governor?
Effective ……………. 36%
Ineffective………….. 48%
Not sure ……………. 16%

Q5 Do you approve or disapprove of Attorney
General Roy Cooper’s job performance?
Approve…………….. 31%
Disapprove………… 19%
Not sure ……………. 49%

Q6 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 53%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 44%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 3%

Q7 Would you describe yourself as a liberal,
moderate, or conservative?
Liberal ……………………………………………………. 17%
Moderate………………………………………………… 38%
Conservative…………………………………………… 45%

Q8 Would you describe the community you live in
as urban, suburban, rural, or a small town?
Urban…………………………………………………….. 16%
Suburban ……………………………………………….. 27%
Rural ……………………………………………………… 27%
Small Town …………………………………………….. 29%

Q9 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 52%
Man……………………………………………………….. 48%

Q10 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 48%
Republican……………………………………………… 35%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 18%

Q11 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 77%
African-American …………………………………….. 19%
Other……………………………………………………… 4%

Q12 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 6%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 24%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 45%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 25%

Q13
252………………………………………………………… 11%
336………………………………………………………… 18%
704………………………………………………………… 18%
828………………………………………………………… 13%
910………………………………………………………… 15%
919………………………………………………………… 25%