November 19, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Demi Dowdy (919) 834-2099 demi.dowdy@nccivitas.org
RALEIGH – A new Civitas poll sheds light on how NC voters view two top leaders expected to face off on the ballot next year: Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and his likely Democrat opponent, Attorney General Roy Cooper.
Asked who they’d vote for if the gubernatorial vote were today, 41 percent picked McCrory, 37 percent choose Cooper, and 20 percent were undecided, with some of those leaning to one of the candidates.
In contrast to some other recent polls, McCrory had positive ratings in the Civitas poll. Asked if they approved of the job the governor was doing, 53 percent approved and 39 percent disapproved. Asked if they had a favorable or unfavorable view of McCrory, 54 percent had a favorable view, and 37 percent had an unfavorable view.
Cooper’s job approval rating was 49 percent favorable, 15 percent unfavorable, and 37 percent didn’t know. The attorney general’s favorability rating was 52 percent favorable, 17 percent unfavorable, with 31 percent saying they did not know or had not heard of him.
Also, those voters who had heard of him were asked what action or subject they most associated with him, 57 percent responded that they had no response or didn’t know. The highest other response was “attorney general/job is to uphold the law.”
The poll surveyed 600 registered North Carolina voters, with 30 percent contacted on their cell phones. The margin of error is plus/minus 4 percent. The survey was taken November 10-12.
The exact text of these questions is below. (Totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding.)
If the election for North Carolina Governor were being held today, for whom would you vote if the candidates were: (ROTATE) Pat McCrory, the Republican, and Roy Cooper, the Democrat?
41% Total McCrory
37% Total Cooper
20% Lean/Undecided
31% Definitely McCrory
10% Probably McCrory
2% Lean McCrory
13% Undecided
5% Lean Cooper
9% Probably Cooper
28% Definitely Cooper
2% Refused
Now, please tell me whether you approve or disapprove of the job that Pat McCrory is doing as Governor?
Total Approve 53% Total Disapprove 39%
Now, please tell me whether you approve or disapprove of the job that Roy Cooper is doing as Attorney General?
Total Approve 49% Total Disapprove 15%
Now I am going to read you a list of people and organizations active in politics. After I read each name, please tell me if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of that person or organization. If you never heard of them, just tell me and we’ll go on to the next one…the (first/next) one is…(RANDOMIZE)
Pat McCrory
FAV UNFAV
54% 37%
Roy Cooper
FAV UNFAV
52% 17%
What issue, action or subject do you most associate with Roy Cooper? (OPEN END)
8% Attorney General/ Job is to uphold the law
4% Effective/ Done a good job
3% Honest/ Trustworthy/ Fairness
3% Ineffective/ Hasn’t done anything
3% Favorable/ Like him (General)
2% Unfavorable/ Don’t like him (General)
2% For the people/ Looks out for the people
2% Morals/ Like same sex marriage stance
2% Democrat/ Party affiliation
2% Morals/ Dislike same sex marriage stance
1% Education/ Dislike education policy
1% Not for the people/ Not for the state
1% Healthcare/ Obamacare
1% Education/ Like Education Policy
1% Immigration
* Wishy Washy/ Changes Parties
* Environment/ Against fracking/ Pollution
4% Other
41% None/ Nothing/ Don’t Know enough about him
16% Don’t Know
6% Refused
To see the crosstabs, click here.
Civitas President Francis De Luca will be available for interviews. To arrange an interview, email Demi Dowdy at demi.dowdy@nccivitas.org or call 919.834.2099.
Founded in 2005, the Civitas Institute is a Raleigh, NC-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit policy organization committed to creating a North Carolina whose citizens enjoy liberty and prosperity derived from limited government, personal responsibility and civic engagement. To that end, Civitas develops and advocates for conservative policy solutions to improve the lives of all North Carolinians. Towards that end, Civitas provides research, information and training to:
empower citizens to become better civic leaders and more informed voters;
educate emerging public leaders, enabling them to be more effective in the democratic process; and
inform elected officials about citizen-based, free-market solutions to problems facing North Carolinians.
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