(The Center Square) – Disapproval of second-term Republican President Donald Trump remains slightly more than approval yet has improved in North Carolina, say new poll findings released Thursday.
The 79-year-old Floridian is a tick better than the August sampling from Catawba-YouGov Survey. The 1,000 respondents between Oct. 16-24 – margin of error is +/- 3.79% – included 52% disapproving and 44% approving.
In August, 55% disapproved and 45% approved.
Broken down into party preference was predictable. Either strongly or somewhat, Republicans (86%) approved and Democrats (88%) did not. For independents, 55% disapproved and 41% approved.
First-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein was much more favored. His approval is at 51%, with 27% disapproving and 21% unsure.
Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history and director of Catawba College’s Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, said in a release, “President Trump’s numbers appear to be settling into an underwater pattern in the state, and when combined with Tuesday’s election results, the canary in the coalmine is showing 2026 to be a classic midterm environment.
“Going into 2026 and the midterm elections, presidents with negative ratings are never a good sign for that party, which historically has lost seats in Congress. Tuesday’s results show a greater-than-expected electoral shift to the Democrats, and the issue of how voters view the economy, combined with an unpopular president and a pessimistic electorate, could be key drivers in the battle for control of Congress a year out.”
In other responses, 54% disapproved of the federal government’s handling and restoration efforts in western North Carolina related to Hurricane Helene. Only 32% approved.
On a question of using the National Guard and military troops in cities, 49% disapproved and 43% approved.
Asked about approval of Democrats and Republicans in Congress, 53% disapprove of both parties.
In the highly anticipated U.S. Senate race for 2026, name recognition continues to plague Republican Michael Whatley. For his approval rating, 40% don’t know or have never heard of him, 31% approve and 29% disapprove. By contrast, two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has 50% approval, 35% disapproval, and only 15% don’t know or have never heard of him.
