Poll: Trump leads Biden by 7 points in North Carolina

President Trump has a 7-point lead over former Vice President Joe Biden in the crucial swing state of North Carolina, according to a new poll from the Civitas Institute released Wednesday.

Trump has the support of 49 percent of likely North Carolina voters, while 42 percent support Biden. Another 9 percent say they are undecided. 

Trump is buoyed by a strong approval rating, with 52 percent of likely voters who participated in the survey saying they approve of the job he’s doing as president. Fifty-seven percent of voters also said they think the Trump administration is doing a good job tackling the coronavirus. 

Trump won North Carolina by fewer than 4 points in 2016 against Hillary Clinton.

The Tar Heel State is expected to be a chief battleground in the 2020 cycle, as it is also home to competitive senate and gubernatorial races. North Carolina has seen an influx in outside spending to boost Trump and Biden as well as down ballot contenders. 

Sen. Thom Tillis (R) maintains a narrow 4-point lead over Democratic senatorial candidate Cal Cunningham in the poll, and Gov. Roy Cooper (D) maintains a strong approval rating, including 48 percent among Republicans.

“This poll is fairly consistent with the national trend for President Trump and governors,” said Civitas President Donald Bryson. “The president is seeing an overall bump in approval ratings, and governors are enjoying leaps in approval ratings.” 

Civitas Institute surveyed 500 likely North Carolina voters from April 5-7 and has a margin of error of 4.38 percentage points.