Raleigh, N.C. – PPP’s monthly North Carolina poll finds overwhelming bipartisan agreement that Duke Energy- and not anyone else- should pay for the clean up from the recent coal ash spill. 79% think the company should bear the cost rather than taxpayers or customers to only 12% who disagree. There’s also no divide along party lines at all on the issues- independents (81/9), Republicans (79/11), and Democrats (79/14) all think the onus should fall on Duke. This episode is having a pretty negative overall impact on Duke’s image in the state too- only 26% of voters have a favorable opinion of the company overall to 52% with an unfavorable one.

“It’s pretty unusual in North Carolina these days to find a hot button issue that Democrats and Republicans are completely in agreement about,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “But there’s broad consensus that this should be Duke Energy’s mess to clean up and no one else’s.”

This issue is proving to be problematic for Pat McCrory. Only 30% of voters say they approve of the way he’s handled the coal ash issue to 44% who disapprove. His overall approval numbers are in line with what we and most other pollsters have found recently- 40% approve of the job he’s doing to 47% who disapprove.

The General Assembly has a 17/61 overall approval rating. With Republicans in control of that body you’d think that qualifies as good news for Democrats. But it turns out that Democrats (33/51 favorability) and Republicans (33/52) in the legislature are almost identically unpopular- voter unhappiness is pretty steady with both parties. Democrats do lead the generic legislative ballot this month 45/42, but the way the boundaries are drawn up that equates to modest potential gains for them this fall at best.

Hillary Clinton continues to hold small leads over the leading potential Republican candidates in the state. Jeb Bush comes closest to her at 47/46 and she leads Chris Christie 46/42, Rand Paul 49/43, and Mike Huckabee 49/42.

PPP surveyed 884 registered voters from March 6th to 9th, including 392 Republican primary voters. The margin of error for the overall survey is +/- 3.3%, and for the Republicans it’s +/-5.0%. 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……………………………………………… 47%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor
McCrory’s actions in dealing with the coal ash
spill?
Approve …………………………………………………. 30%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 26%

Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Duke Energy?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 26%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 52%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 22%

Q4 Do you think Duke Energy, rather than
taxpayers or its customers, should be
responsible for paying the entire clean up cost
from the coal ash spill at its former plant?
Yes………………………………………………………… 79%
No …………………………………………………………. 12%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%

Q5 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator
Richard Burr’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 33%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 35%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 32%

Q6 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Jeb
Bush, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 47%
Jeb Bush………………………………………………… 46%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 7%

Q7 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Chris
Christie, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 46%
Chris Christie ………………………………………….. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%

Q8 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike
Huckabee, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 49%
Mike Huckabee ……………………………………….. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 8%

Q9 If the candidates for President next time were
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Rand
Paul, who would you vote for?
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 49%
Rand Paul ………………………………………………. 43%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 8%

Q10 Do you approve or disapprove of the job the
General Assembly is doing?
Approve …………………………………………………. 17%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 61%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 22%

Q11 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Democrats in the North Carolina
Legislature?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 33%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 51%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 16%

Q12 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Republicans in the North Carolina
Legislature?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 33%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 52%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 14%

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……………………………………………… 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q14 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Bill Clinton?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 52%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 41%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 7%

Q15 In the last presidential election, did you vote for
Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 47%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 48%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 5%

Q16 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 53%
Man……………………………………………………….. 47%

Q17 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%

Q18 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 74%
African-American …………………………………….. 20%
Other……………………………………………………… 6%

Q19 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………………………………………………….. 25%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 39%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 21%

Q20 Mode
Phone ……………………………………………………. 80%
Internet ………………………………………………….. 20%

Q21 Area Code
252………………………………………………………… 8%
336………………………………………………………… 17%
704………………………………………………………… 18%
828………………………………………………………… 10%
910………………………………………………………… 11%
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………………………………………………… 12%
Chris Christie ………………………………………….. 15%
Ted Cruz ………………………………………………… 14%
Mike Huckabee ……………………………………….. 19%
Bobby Jindal …………………………………………… 1%
Rand Paul ………………………………………………. 12%
Marco Rubio …………………………………………… 5%
Paul Ryan ………………………………………………. 4%
Scott Walker …………………………………………… 6%
Someone else/Not sure ……………………………. 12%

Q2 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 3%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 4%
Moderate………………………………………………… 20%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 35%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 37%

Q3 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 45%
Man……………………………………………………….. 55%

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%

Q5 Area Code
252………………………………………………………… 8%
336………………………………………………………… 26%
704………………………………………………………… 19%
828………………………………………………………… 11%
910………………………………………………………… 10%
919………………………………………………………… 14%
Internet ………………………………………………….. 13%