(The Center Square) – Better than 2 in 3 poll respondents identifying as North Carolina registered voters say America is on the wrong track, and name inflation, national security, school safety, health care and support of veterans as top issues for policymakers in Washington.
Abortion, climate change, wars between Israel and Hamas and between Ukraine and Russia, and COVID-19 did not even crack the top 15 of major issues for Congress in the High Point University Poll taken March 22-30 and released Thursday. There were 829 respondents, and the overall credibility interval is +/- 3.4%.
The survey asked, “Do you think things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?” Wrong track achieved 69%, right direction 24% and 7% were unsure. In a similar question subbing in North Carolina, the wrong track was 51%, right direction 33% and 16% were unsure.
Asked what their 16 members of Congress are facing that is most important to them as voters, the leaders were inflation (76%), national security (73%), school safety (69%), health care in general (68%), and supporting veterans (68%). Also, above 50% were protecting democracy (65%), gas prices (64%), taxes (64%), education (63%), immigration (62%), voting integrity (60%), law enforcement (59%), guns (56%), civil rights (54%) and agriculture (52%).
Sixteenth through 20th were abortion (49%), climate change (42%), war between Israel and Hamas (38%), war in Ukraine (33%), and COVID-19 (32%).
The state’s trend for a split ticket between president and governor was also reflected, though the difference for each polling was less than the credibility interval. Former Republican President Donald Trump led Democratic President Joe Biden 45%-42%; in the gubernatorial race, Democrat Josh Stein led Republican Mark Robinson 37%-34% with another 25% unsure.
Stein is finishing his second four-year term as attorney general. Robinson is wrapping his first four-year term as lieutenant governor.
Republican presidential candidates starting with Richard Nixon in 1968 have won the state’s last 14 cycles with just two exceptions (Jimmy Carter in 1976, Barack Obama in 2008) and neither of those repeated in reelection bids.
In the last decade or so, more statewide races have favored Republicans than Democrats; those unaffiliated tilt the tide. Even still, since Daniel Lindsay Russell was governor from 1897-1901, North Carolinians – who couldn’t reelect governors at all until 1977’s constitutional amendment – have elected 23 Democrats. Govs. James Holshouser (1973-77), Jim Martin (1985-93), and Pat McCrory (2013-17) are the only Grand Old Party exceptions to the trend.
