President Donald Trump's proposed $5,000 payment to adult U.S. citizens drew more negative than positive responses from North Carolina voters asked how it would affect their Republican vote ahead of a Senate election.
An Elon University poll found that 30% of registered voters said the promise made them less likely to vote Republican, while 16% said more likely. Another 50% said it made no difference.
Trump has proposed giving each adult U.S. citizen $5,000 if Republicans win both the House and Senate. He repeated the pledge at his Oct. 20 rally at Pitt-Greenville Airport, NC Newsline reported.
The same poll put former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper at 52% among likely voters and Republican Michael Whatley at 39%. The survey was conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 8, before Trump's rally, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points for likely voters.
Trump urged supporters to back Whatley and predicted strong Republican results on Nov. 3. “They never poll us right,” he said. Whatley is seeking the seat held by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who has said he will not seek reelection.
Economic concerns also featured in the state poll: 76% of registered voters said living costs were worse than two years earlier, while 9% saw improvement. Elon University Poll director Jason Husser said voters who viewed conditions as worsening tended to favor Cooper.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted Oct. 16-19 found that 47% of registered voters nationally picked the cost of living as the single most important factor in their congressional vote. Among U.S. adults, 68% disapproved of Trump's handling of the economy.
The national survey put Trump's overall job approval at 31%, with 66% disapproving. It included 1,679 adults and had a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points for the full sample.
North Carolina's in-person early voting ends at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 31. Voters will choose a senator on Nov. 3.
