Trump, Biden deadlocked in North Carolina: poll

A Washington Post-ABC poll released Tuesday found Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Trump in a dead heat in the battleground state of North Carolina.

The survey found Biden with 49 percent support among likely voters to Trump’s 48 percent. The candidates are separated by 3 percentage points, 48 percent for Biden and 46 percent for Trump, among registered voters.

The poll also found the president’s approval rating slightly above his national average, at 47 percent positive and 52 percent negative. Forty-four percent of respondents in North Carolina strongly disapprove of his performance, compared to 37 percent saying they strongly approve.

Reflecting national trends, the state poll found a majority continues to approve of how Trump has handled the economy but disapprove of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

A majority, 53 percent, approves of Trump’s handling of the economy, compared to 44 percent who disapprove.  

North Carolinians disapprove of his handling of the pandemic by about the same margin, with 53 percent disapproving versus 45 percent approving. Forty-seven percent strongly disapprove.

Respondents also said they trust Trump more to handle the economy by a 6-point margin. They trust Biden more to handle the pandemic by an 8-point margin. Both findings are better for the president than national averages.

Biden leads by double digits among women in North Carolina, 54 percent to 43 percent, pollsters found, trailing his 23-point national advantage over the president. While men nationwide are about evenly split on the candidates, Trump is 10 points ahead among men in North Carolina.

About 90 percent of both Biden supporters and Trump supporters in the state say they are enthusiastic about their candidate, but about 75 percent of Trump supporters said they are “very enthusiastic” compared to about 60 percent of Biden supporters.

Pollsters surveyed 795 adults, including 706 registered voters and 646 likely voters, between Oct. 12-17. The poll has a 4.5-point margin of error.