North Carolina Sen. Richard M. Burr’s approval ratings remain anemic, but he is performing better against six prospective Democratic candidates in a new survey conducted Oct. 2-4 by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling.
In the survey of 638 North Carolina voters, 36 percent approve of Burr’s job performance, compared to 35 percent who disapprove. Twenty-nine percent remain unsure about Burr, who is serving his first term in the Senate. That is slightly lower than the PPP’s results from September, when the approval-disapproval spread was 38 percent to 32 percent. The poll’s margin of error is 3.8 percent.
Burr’s lead over a generic Democrat, however, has climbed from seven points a month ago to 11, 45 percent to 34 percent. It doesn’t seem to matter much who Democrats throw at him, Burr’s support remains nearly identical at between 44 and 46 percent.
Communications Director Tom Jensen writes on the PPP blog that Burr’s results among independents is particularly interesting. “By a 39 to 36 margin they disapprove of the job Burr is doing. But they then turn around and give him a 44 to 24 lead against a generic Democratic candidate. The pretty clear message when you see numbers like that is ‘we don’t like you, but we like the alternative even less.’ “
Democrat Bob Etheridge, a seven-term congressman representing the 7th District, performs the best against Burr with 33 percent of the vote, to 44 percent for the incumbent. Etheridge, who has yet to decide whether he will run, is followed closely by Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who comes in at 32 percent to 44 percent. Marshall made her candidacy official a month ago.
Also in the race is Durham attorney Kenneth Lewis, who trails Burr 44 percent to 30 percent.
To see how the 2010 Senate races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics’ election map.
— Emily Cadei
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Bob Etheridge represents the 2nd district, not the 7th district.
Posted by: peter74
| October 9, 2009 12:55 PM
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