Poll: Biden leads Trump by 7 points in North Carolina

Former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Trump in North Carolina, according to a new Meredith College poll released on Friday, giving the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee an early edge in a key battleground state. 

The poll shows Biden with roughly 47 percent support in North Carolina. Trump trails him at about 40 percent. 

Trump carried the state in the 2016 presidential election by fewer than 4 points. And before that, Mitt Romney beat former President Obama there in 2012 after Obama won it during his first White House bid in 2008. 

Democrats, however, believe that North Carolina has moved in their favor in recent years, citing the growth of its urban and suburban populations around cities like Raleigh and Charlotte, as well as Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D) narrow win in the 2016 gubernatorial election. 

The Meredith poll shows Trump’s job approval underwater in the state. About 41 percent of those surveyed said they approve of the job the president is doing in the White House compared to 53 percent who disapprove. 

That drop in approval corresponds with the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to the outbreak, Trump’s approval stood at 45.5 percent, with just under 48 percent disapproving, according to the Meredith poll. 

Meanwhile, Cooper received high marks in North Carolina, with about 63 percent of respondents saying they approve of the job he is doing in office.

“The federal government’s response to the pandemic has caused North Carolinians to question President Trump’s job performance. This is especially challenging for the president during an election year,” David McLennan, the director of the Meredith poll, said. 

“On the other hand, the state government’s response to the crisis has bolstered Gov. Cooper’s approval ratings, as citizens see his leadership during the crisis in positive terms.”

The poll also shows good news for other Democrats in the state. Cooper leads his Republican challenger, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, by roughly 20 points — 52 percent to 32 percent — six months out from Election Day. Meanwhile, in the state’s Senate race, Democrat Cal Cunningham leads Sen. Thom Tillis (R) 43.5 percent to 34.3 percent.

“With over six months to Election Day, Democratic candidates for major office in the state are in good position,” McLennan said. “The slide in the president’s job approval not only hurts him in the campaign against Joe Biden, but also hurts other Republican down ballot, like Senator Thom Tillis and Lt. Governor Dan Forest.”

“However, there is a lot of time for Republican candidates to improve their positions, as everyone expects North Carolina’s races to be very competitive on Election Day,” he added.

The Meredith poll surveyed 604 registered North Carolina voters online from April 27 to 28. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.