Raleigh, N.C. – PPP’s newest North Carolina poll finds that teacher pay raises are a top priority for voters in the state- and that they want to see teachers get more than Republicans in Raleigh are proposing.

By a 54/36 spread, including 50/39 with independents, North Carolinians think raising teacher pay should be a higher priority for the General Assembly than cutting taxes. 50% of voters in the state support at least a 5% increase, 59% support at least a 4% increase, and 76% support at least a 3% increase. Only 24% of voters think that a 2% teacher pay increase or less is adequate.

There’s also strong support for increasing the starting teacher salary in the state. 56% of voters think teachers should start at at least $40,000 a year and 82% think they should start at at least $35,000 a year.

Given these findings it’s not surprising that Pat McCrory’s teacher pay announcement last week hasn’t done anything to shore up his standing with voters in the state. Only 40% of voters approve of the job he’s doing, compared to 48% who disapprove. A hypothetical match up for reelection with Roy Cooper would be a toss up at this point, with McCrory ahead by a single point at 43/42.

The General Assembly begins the short session with a 16% approval rating and 56% of voters disapproving of it, reflecting residual anger from last summer. It doesn’t have much room to fall over the next few months. The generic legislative ballot in the state is tied at 43%. If that holds to November Democrats will probably be able to pick up a few seats but nothing close to a majority.

“North Carolinians want the legislature to give teachers a substantial pay increase this year,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “If they don’t, it could give Democrats a good issue to run with this fall.”

PPP surveyed 877 registered voters, including 394 Republican primary voters, from May 9th to 11th. The margin of error for the overall survey is +/- 3.3% and for the Republicans it’s +/-4.9%. 80% of interviews for the poll were conducted over the phone with 20% interviewed over the internet to reach respondents who don’t have landline telephones.

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

General Election Toplines

Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Pat
McCrory’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 40%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 48%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%

Q2 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Roy Cooper?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 30%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 20%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 50%

Q3 If the candidates for Governor in 2016 were
Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Roy
Cooper, who would you vote for?
Pat McCrory……………………………………………. 43%
Roy Cooper…………………………………………….. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%

Q4 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator
Richard Burr’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 27%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 35%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 37%

Q5 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Jeb
Bush, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 45%
Jeb Bush………………………………………………… 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q6 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Chris
Christie, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 44%
Chris Christie ………………………………………….. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 16%

Q7 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike
Huckabee, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 47%
Mike Huckabee ……………………………………….. 43%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%

Q8 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Rand
Paul, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 45%
Rand Paul ………………………………………………. 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%

Q9 Do you approve or disapprove of the job the
General Assembly is doing?
Approve …………………………………………………. 16%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 56%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 28%

Q10 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Democrats in the North Carolina
Legislature?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 33%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 49%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 18%

Q11 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Republicans in the North Carolina
Legislature?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 31%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 51%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 17%

Q12 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 ……………………………………………….. 43%
Republican……………………………………………… 43%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 14%

Q13 North Carolina is eligible to receive new federal
funding to pay for health care through the
Medicaid program. Do you think the North
Carolina state government should accept this
federal funding to expand Medicaid coverage,
or not?
Think it should…………………………………………. 58%
Think it should not……………………………………. 31%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%

Q14 Would you support or oppose the creation of a
nonpartisan panel to draw North Carolina’s
Congressional and legislative districts every 10
years?
Support ………………………………………………….. 45%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 18%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 37%

Q15 How much do you think the starting salary
should be for a public school teacher in North
Carolina: $30,000, $35,000, $40,000, $45,000,
or more?
$30,000………………………………………………….. 14%
$35,000………………………………………………….. 26%
$40,000………………………………………………….. 30%
$45,000………………………………………………….. 14%
More than $45,000…………………………………… 12%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 4%

Q16 How much of a raise do you think all North
Carolina teachers should receive in this year’s
budget: a 1% raise, 2% raise, 3% raise, 4%
raise, 5% raise, 6% raise, 7% raise, more than
7%, or no raise at all?
1% ………………………………………………………… 7%
2% ………………………………………………………… 15%
3% ………………………………………………………… 17%
4% ………………………………………………………… 9%
5% ………………………………………………………… 22%
6% ………………………………………………………… 4%
7% ………………………………………………………… 7%
More than 7% …………………………………………. 17%
No raise at all………………………………………….. 2%

Q17 With limited money in the budget, do you think
it is more important for the General Assembly
to raise teacher pay or cut taxes?
Raise teacher pay……………………………………. 54%
Cut taxes………………………………………………… 36%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%

Q18 Would you support or oppose a small increase
in your power bill to help pay for the cleanup
from the recent coal ash spill?
Support ………………………………………………….. 10%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 84%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 6%

Q19 In the last presidential election, did you vote for
Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 48%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 48%
Someone else / Don’t remember ……………….. 4%

Q20 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 9%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 16%
Moderate………………………………………………… 30%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 25%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 20%

Q21 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 53%
Man……………………………………………………….. 47%

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 ……………………………………………….. 42%
Republican……………………………………………… 35%
Independent / Other…………………………………. 23%

Q23 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 74%
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 65
or older, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 15%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 23%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 39%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 23%

Q25 Mode
Phone ……………………………………………………. 80%
Internet ………………………………………………….. 20%

Q26 Area Code
252………………………………………………………… 8%
336………………………………………………………… 15%
704………………………………………………………… 17%
828………………………………………………………… 12%
910………………………………………………………… 13%
919………………………………………………………… 15%
Internet ………………………………………………….. 20%

Republican Primary Toplines

Q1 Given the choices of Jeb Bush, Chris Christie,
Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, Rand
Paul, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, and Scott
Walker, who would you most like to see as the
GOP candidate for President in 2016?
Jeb Bush………………………………………………… 17%
Chris Christie ………………………………………….. 12%
Ted Cruz ………………………………………………… 12%
Mike Huckabee ……………………………………….. 17%
Bobby Jindal …………………………………………… 2%
Rand Paul ………………………………………………. 12%
Marco Rubio …………………………………………… 5%
Paul Ryan ………………………………………………. 8%
Scott Walker …………………………………………… 5%
Someone else / Not sure ………………………….. 11%

Q2 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 1%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 2%
Moderate………………………………………………… 20%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 37%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 40%

Q3 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 46%
Man……………………………………………………….. 54%

Q4 If you are 18 to 45 years old, press 1.If 46 to
65, press 2. If you are 65 or older, press 3.
18 to 45………………………………………………….. 30%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 41%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 29%