PPP’s newest North Carolina poll finds the Democratic Presidential race in the state the closest it’s been yet. Joe Biden leads with 25% to 16% for Bernie Sanders, 14% for Michael Bloomberg, 12% for Elizabeth Warren, 9% for Pete Buttigieg, 5% each for Amy Klobuchar and Andrew Yang, and 2% for Tom Steyer.
Bloomberg is the only one of the top four contenders who’s shown positive momentum over the last three weeks, seeing a six point growth in his support from 8% to 14%. By contrast Biden has dropped 6 points, Sanders has dropped 2 points, and Warren has dropped 3 points. The other candidates on a positive trajectory in the state are Buttigieg who’s gone up 3 points, and Klobuchar who’s gained 2 points.
African American voters continue to be the key to Biden’s advantage in the Tar Heel state. He’s at 39% with them to 12% for Bloomberg and 10% for Sanders. That allows him to break out of a logjam with white voters where he and Sanders are both at 18%, with Bloomberg and Warren each at 15% not far behind. There’s a huge generational divide- among seniors Biden gets 35% and Bloomberg 21% with no one else over 8%. But among young voters Sanders gets 27% with Biden and Warren and 16%, and Bloomberg actually running 5th at 9% behind Andrew Yang who gets 10% in that demographic.
In the primary for Senate Cal Cunningham has nearly doubled his lead over Erica Smith, from 10 points three weeks ago to now 19 points. He’s at 29% to 10% for Smith, 4% for Steve Swenson, 3% for Trevor Fuller, and 2% for Atul Goel. Cunningham has easily the best name recognition in the field at 42%, and is generally well liked among those familiar with him- 34% rate him favorably to 8% unfavorable. Smith has 23% name recognition, and the rest of the candidates are below 20%. Cunningham has a dominant lead with white voters at 36% to Smith’s 8% and has a more modest advantage among African Americans as well, getting 21% to Smith’s 16%.
The primaries for Lieutenant Governor and Treasurer continue to be completely wide open. 75% are undecided and none of the candidates get more than 7%- Yvonne Holley reaches that mark with Chaz Beasley at 6%, Terry Van Duyn at 5%, Allen Thomas at 4%, Bill Toole at 2%, and Ron Newton at 1% all clustering pretty close together. It’s a similar story for Treasurer- the undecideds are even higher for that office at 80%. Dimple Ajmera at 9%, Matt Leatherman at 8%, and Ronnie Chatterji at 4% poll close together.
Full results here
