Stein tops Robinson by 17 points in North Carolina gubernatorial race: Survey

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) is leading embattled Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) by 17 points in the gubernatorial race, according to a new survey. 

The High Point University poll released Thursday shows Stein with 51 percent support compared to Robinson’s 34 percent among North Carolina’s likely voters. Some 11 percent were unsure, while 3 percent said they preferred someone else.

There was a similar gap among self-identified registered voters in the survey; Stein garnered a 19-point lead, 51 percent to 32 percent, over the lieutenant governor.

Robinson is currently facing scrutiny over a bombshell report from CNN that linked the GOP candidate to messages posted on a porn site messaging board more than a decade ago. He reportedly called himself a “Black Nazi” and expressed support for slavery, among other inflammatory comments.

He has denied the allegations, calling the CNN report “salacious tabloid trash,” and vowing to stay in the race. Following the news, a number of his employees also stepped down, and many Republicans pulled their endorsements.

Separate polls, released this week from East Carolina University, The Washington Post and Marist, also show Stein with a double-digit lead over Robinson.

The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling index has the state attorney general ahead by 14.8 points — 51.6 percent to 36.8 percent.

The High Point University survey was conducted Sept. 20-29 among 814 self-identified registered voters and 589 likely voters. The margin of error for self-identified voters is 3.6 percentage points. The margin of error for likely voters is 4.9 percentage points.