(The Center Square) – In a recent poll, Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is closing the polling gap between himself and Democrat Josh Stein in the race for governor.
After polls recently had Stein leading by as much as 17%, a poll from Redfield & Wilton Strategies has Stein leading by just 7%. While still a significant margin, a poll has not had the two candidates that close since mid-September.
Since 1896, voters have elected a Republican for governor in North Carolina only three times. Republicans have majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate and are forecast to keep the advantages.
According to the Redfield & Wilton poll, Stein’s lead over Robinson has narrowed by 3 points since a poll the same company conducted in September.
In the most-recent poll, which was conducted from Saturday through Monday, 45% of voters said they plan to vote for Stein and 38% for Robinson.
“Stein polls one point lower than Harris does in North Carolina, while Robinson polls ten points worse than Trump does in the Tarheel State,” the poll stated, referring to the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
That gap between Robinson and Trump’s support has been a concern for Republicans for the last few weeks, especially after CNN released a report on the gubernatorial candidate.
Earlier this week, Robinson filed a lawsuit against the Cable News Network for defamation saying the claims against him were “completely unsubstantiated and defamatory.”
Over the last few months, Robinson has been consistently had less support than Trump and other Republicans running in the state.
Robinson has remained hopeful though, stating he will continue to fight back against “the claims from leftist media like CNN.”
With early voting in North Carolina starting Thursday, Robinson also posted a rallying call for Republicans throughout the state.
“Our campaign is a landing spot for every single North Carolina resident looking for a better and brighter tomorrow,” Robinson said. “Your future isn’t dependent on personality or politics. Your future requires bold leaders, taking real action to instill great policies. As governor, I will be there to serve you.”
Stein has labeled Robinson an “extremist,” while receiving support from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
“I’ve said it before – and I’ll say it again: Mark Robinson is unfit to become NC’s next Governor,” he said on social media.
According to a forecast from Race to the White House, Stein has a 97% chance of winning the governor’s race. This forecast is based on polling and “fundamentals” and is updated daily.
