(The Center Square) – Inflation and prices rank top of mind for North Carolina voters in a poll released Thursday.
Immigration; jobs/economy; and abortion was tight on the next level grouping. In a statewide poll rarity, all 10 Council of State races were sampled and showed leads for six Democrats and four Republicans – four of the Democrats going from behind to ahead, and a fifth in a race not polled previously.
The Carolina Journal poll, conducted by Cygnal, was done Monday and Tuesday of 600 likely voters, and the margin of error is +/- 3.99%. Carolina Journal is a publication of the John Locke Foundation, a nonprofit research institute that envisions “liberty and limited, constitutional government” as cornerstones to society.
Inflation/prices was chosen top issue by 29.8%, a clear step ahead of immigration (15.9%), jobs/economy (15.8%), and abortion (15.6%). Combined, the two economic policy topics attracted 45.6% of the respondents.
Fifth was education (6.6%) followed by taxes/spending (6.4%). All other topics failed to hit 3%.
In the 10 Council of State races, Democrats in the lead were Josh Stein for governor, Rachel Hunt for lieutenant governor, Jeff Jackson for attorney general, Braxton Winston for labor commissioner, Mo Green for education superintendent and Elaine Marshall for secretary of state.
Republicans in the lead were Brad Briner for treasurer, Dave Boliek for auditor, Mike Causey for insurance commissioner, and Steve Troxler for agriculture commissioner.
Those clearing a statistical tie, meaning a lead of more than the +/- 3.99% margin of error, were Stein over Mark Robinson (45.5%-39.2%) and Green over Michele Morrow (43.3%-39.2%).
Those that went from trailing in the August poll to leading a month later were Hunt over Hal Weatherman (behind 1.9% to leading by 1.5%), Jackson over Bishop (behind 3.9% to leading by 1.5%), Winston over Luke Farley (behind 3.7% to leading by 0.4%), and Green over Morrow (behind 4.5% to leading by 4.1%). It was the first polling for commissioners of insurance, agriculture, and the secretary of state race.
