(The Center Square) – Republican voter registrations in North Carolina are within one-half of 1% of Democrats for the first time this century, activity that is consistent with a new national poll returning a record level of unfavorability with the Democratic Party.
In numbers with volume indications of regular periodic voter roll maintenance, all three major registration groups are less than Election Day and those unaffiliated remain the clear leader. By percentage of the more than 7.4 million registered, unaffiliated (37.5%) is the top choice followed by Democrats (30.9%) and Republicans (30.4%).
In addition to those three choices, the state’s voters can choose from – alphabetized here – parties known as Constitution, Green, Justice For All, Libertarian, No Labels and We The People.
On Election Day, registrations topped 7.8 million with 37.7% unaffiliated, 31.3% Democrats and 29.9% Republicans.
The Quinnipiac University Poll released Wednesday said 31% had a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party and 57% had an unfavorable opinion. The poll said it represented “the highest percentage of voters having an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question.”
November 2008 was the start of favorability questions on parties.
The poll said 43% had favorable opinions of the Republican Party, and 45% unfavorable. The poll said that represented “the highest percentage of voters having a favorable opinion of the Republican Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question.”
The 12% edge of favorable by the Grand Old Party over Democrats is also the highest since the question became a regular part of the poll.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,019 registered voters from Jan. 23-27. The sampling’s margin of error is +/- 3.1%.
Decline of the party by registrations in North Carolina has been ongoing for two decades. Representation in offices, however, has not necessarily followed suit. In fact, the net difference in the 10 Council of State races three months ago was a gain of one for Democrats when they flipped two seats and Republicans only flipped one.
The changes left five Democrats and five Republicans making up the state’s executive offices.
On Jan. 1, 2004, Democrats had 47.6% of the state’s more than 5 million registrations, Republicans had 34.4% and those unaffiliated only numbered 17.7%. Republicans have only dropped 4%-5% since, hitting 29.8% at the 2018 midterms and this past November’s 29.9%. They got as high as 34.7% on April 1, 2006.
Democrats have steadily fallen, dropping below 40% for the first time on Nov. 8, 2016. Saturday’s updated numbers from the State Board of Elections are the lowest this century.
Unaffiliated registrations climbed above 20% in 2008, above 30% shortly after the 2016 presidential election, and today are at an all-time high.
In offices, however, Democrats still have commanding spots. Pat McCrory (2012 election) is the only Republican governor this century; the GOP hasn’t won an attorney general election since 1896; and the back-to-back wins by Mark Johnson (2016) and Catherine Truitt (2020) are the only Republican election wins for state education superintendent since the election of 1896.
Most notable of elected office changes spanning the last three centuries was the 2010 midterms, when Republicans gained majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly for the first time since Reconstruction 140 years earlier.