An Elon University poll released Tuesday put former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, 13 points ahead of Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley, hours before President Donald Trump's scheduled rally for Whatley.
Cooper drew 52% support among likely voters, against 39% for Whatley. Another 6% were undecided, while 3% supported someone else. Conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 8, the survey had a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points for likely voters. Elon said its final sample included 800 North Carolina adults, assembled from 1,038 YouGov interviews.
Household costs were a leading concern: 76% of registered voters said the cost of living was worse than two years earlier, and 37% named an economic issue as their top election concern.
Among registered voters, 43% said Trump's endorsement would make them less likely to support a candidate. Another 25% said it would make them more likely, while 26% said it would make little difference. Elon University Poll Director Jason Husser said Cooper's supporters expressed greater enthusiasm about voting and attached more importance to the election's effect on their lives.
WRAL quoted Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper as saying Trump's visits may motivate supporters who are less inclined to vote when he is not on the ballot.
The Republican event listing scheduled Trump's remarks for 7 p.m. EDT at Pitt-Greenville Airport in Greenville. Whatley and Roy Cooper are competing for the seat held by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who has said he will not seek another term.
North Carolina is part of a wider Senate contest in which Democrats need four net gains. The Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, announced an initial $71 million investment to support Whatley in April. Semafor reported Oct. 2 that the group had paused further North Carolina advertising after spending more than $30 million and shifted resources toward Kansas.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has set the general election for Nov. 3.
