USA

Polls show Cooper with strong lead over Whatley for NC Senate seat

Democrat Roy Cooper holds an 11-point lead over Republican Michael Whatley in the Senate race in North Carolina, according to a new poll from The Carolina Journal/Harper Polling.

Questionnaire, published last weekIt found that nearly half of 600 likely voters in North Carolina said they would either “definitely” or “probably” support Cooper, the state’s former two-term governor, if the election were held that day.

Less than 39 percent of respondents, meanwhile, said they would “definitely” or “probably” support Whatley, who served as chairman of the Republican National Committee for about a year and a half before leaving last August to run for the Senate.

Less than 4 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for someone else, while 7.8 percent said they were undecided.

The poll, conducted May 10-11, had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Cooper’s double-digit margin in the poll is an increase from the previous year. Survey conducted by Carolina Forward Between 4 and 8 May. In that poll, the former governor had a 49 percent to 42 percent advantage over Whatley among 957 likely voters, with 9 percent of respondents undecided.

The Carolina Forward poll’s margin of error was 3.3 percentage points.

The winner of the race will replace Sen. Thom Tillis (R.N.C.), a two-term senator who is leaving the upper chamber. Tillis won both Senate races by less than 2 points.

A Democrat hasn’t represented North Carolina in the Senate since former Sen. Kay Hagan left Congress in 2015 after losing to Tillis. But Cooper, who served as state attorney general for 16 years before moving to the governor’s mansion, won each of the six statewide races through 2000.

The Cooper campaign also has a significant financial advantage over Whatley. As of the end of March, the Democratic candidate offer The GOP candidate had more than $18.4 million on hand. offer He had more than $2.5 million on hand, according to the Federal Election Commission.

But the Senate Leadership Fund, which is affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.S.D. announced Last month it announced it was investing $71 million to help Whatley.

Whatley on the campaign trail criticized Cooper As governor, he focused on his approach to public safety and issues such as: agriculture And producing.

Cooper, on the other hand, focused on affordability during his 10 months on the road. Cost of living in North Carolina is 4 percent below the national average For RentCafe.

“We need someone who will go to the United States Senate and put the people first, and that’s what I’ll do,” Cooper said. he told the crowd Last week in Johnston County, North Carolina. “I will put the people before the government. I will put the people before the party. I will put the people before politics. My entire focus will be on the people.”

Head to The Hill for the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video.