Raleigh, N.C. – North Carolinians are unhappy with many of the actions the Republican
controlled state government has taken over the last month, and its poll
numbers are suffering for it.
Only 11% of voters support the pay raises Pat McCrory gave to his
cabinet, to 82% of voters opposed to them. Even Republicans oppose them
by a 75/14 margin. Only 39% of voters support cutting benefits for unemployed workers
to $350 a week, while 50% are opposed to that change. And just 41% favor
reducing the time period during which workers can receive benefits by
six weeks to 48% who are opposed. Independents are opposed to the
actions the legislature has taken on both counts. 32% of voters disagree with the comments McCrory recently made about
higher education in the state to 26% who agree. In the Triangle, where
voters were much more familiar with his statements, 44% of voters
disagree with McCrory to 30% who agree.
As a result of all this McCrory’s honeymoon is wearing off a little
bit. His approval has dropped from a +26 spread at 45/19 to a +14 one at
47/33. Democrats were initially willing to give him a chance- in
January his approval with them broke even at 26%. But after his first
month in office his disapproval with them has nearly doubled to 51%.
While McCrory remains decently popular, voters give the Republican
controlled state government as a whole a 40% approval rating, with 49%
of voters disapproving. It’s at 35/49 with independents. The overall
poor numbers for state government are probably due to the unpopularity
of legislative Republicans- only 33% of voters have a favorable opinion
of them to 49% with a negative one. Democrats lead the generic
legislative ballot at 45/44.
“Pat McCrory has angered a lot of voters who were willing to give him a
chance during his first month in office,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public
Policy Polling. “But he is at least holding strong with Republicans.”
North Carolinians support an assault weapons ban by a 51/41 margin and
more broadly favor stricter gun laws by a 54/40 spread. Both of those
things come despite the NRA having a narrowly positive 45/42
favorability rating in the state.
PPP’s first look at gay marriage in the state since last May finds a
4% increase in support. 38% of voters think it should be legal to 54%
who think it should not. The last time we asked about this issue the
spread was 34/58. 63% of voters now at least support civil unions for
same sex couples to only 37% opposed to any kind of legal recognition.
That’s up from 55% support for civil unions last spring.
North Carolinians remained closely divided on President Obama as he
visited the state today. 48% approve of him to 50% who disapprove,
numbers that mirror last fall’s election results almost perfectly.
PPP surveyed 600
North Carolinian voters from February 7th to 10th. The margin of
error is +/-4.0%. This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political
organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of President
Barack Obama’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 48%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 50%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 3%
Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Pat
McCrory’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .47%
Disapprove…………. .33%
Not sure …………….. .20%
Q3 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator
Richard Burr’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .34%
Disapprove…………. .39%
Not sure …………….. .26%
Q4 Do you approve or disapprove of the job
Republicans as a whole are doing of running
state government?
Approve …………….. .40%
Disapprove…………. .49%
Not sure …………….. .11%
Q5 Do you approve or disapprove of the job the
General Assembly is doing?
Approve …………….. .22%
Disapprove…………. .51%
Not sure …………….. .26%
Q6 Do you support or oppose reducing benefits for
unemployed workers to $350 a week?
Support ……………… .39%
Oppose ……………… .50%
Not sure …………….. .11%
Q7 Do you support or oppose reducing the amount
of time unemployed workers can receive
benefits by six weeks?
Support ……………… .41%
Oppose ……………… .48%
Not sure …………….. .11%
Q8 Do you support or oppose Pat McCrory giving
members of his Cabinet average raises of 8%?
Support ……………… .11%
Oppose ……………… .82%
Not sure …………….. . 7%
Q9 Do you agree or disagree with the comments
Pat McCrory made last week about higher
education in North Carolina?
Agree ………………… .26%
Disagree ……………. .32%
Not sure …………….. .42%
Q10 Do you support or oppose Duke Energy’s
proposed 9.7% increase in electrical rates?
Support ……………… . 5%
Oppose ……………… .88%
Not sure …………….. . 7%
Q11 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Democrats in the North Carolina
Legislature?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 36%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 45%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 20%
Q12 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Republicans in the North Carolina
Legislature?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 33%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 49%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 18%
Q13 Generally speaking, if there was an election for
the state legislature today, would you vote for
the Democratic or Republican candidate from
your district?
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 45%
Republican……………………………………………… 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%
Q14 Would you support or oppose banning assault
weapons?
Support ………………………………………………….. 51%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 41%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 8%
Q15 Would you support or oppose Congress
passing stricter gun laws?
Support ……………… .54%
Oppose ……………… .40%
Not sure …………….. . 6%
Q16 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the National Rifle Association?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 45%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 14%
Q17 Would you be more or less likely to vote for a
candidate supported by the National Rifle
Association, or would it not make a difference?
More likely………………………………………………. 27%
Less likely ………………………………………………. 42%
Wouldn’t make a difference……………………….. 29%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 2%
Q18 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
allowed in North Carolina, or not?
It should be allowed …………………………………. 38%
It should not ……………………………………………. 54%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%
Q19 Which of the following best describes your
opinion on gay marriage: gay couples should
be allowed to legally marry, or gay couples
should be allowed to form civil unions but not
legally marry, or there should be no legal
recognition of a gay couple’s relationship?
Gay couples should be allowed to be legally
married……………………………………………………33%
Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not marry …………………………………30%
There should be no legal recognition of a gay
couple’s relationship …………………………………37%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 1%
Q20 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 11%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 15%
Moderate………………………………………………… 29%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 22%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 22%
Q21 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 54%
Man……………………………………………………….. 46%
Q22 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 ……………………………………………….. 44%
Republican……………………………………………… 33%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 23%
Q23 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 75%
African-American …………………………………….. 20%
Other……………………………………………………… 6%
Q24 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………………………………………………….. 12%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 26%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 41%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 21%
Q25 Area Code
252………………………………………………………… 12%
336………………………………………………………… 18%
704………………………………………………………… 18%
828………………………………………………………… 14%
910………………………………………………………… 16%
919………………………………………………………… 21%
