Carolina Journal Poll shows improvement in voter optimism after 2024 election

A new Carolina Journal poll that surveyed 2024 general election voters in North Carolina shows a bump in optimism about the direction of the country and state.

Asked if they believe the U.S. is headed in the right or wrong track as a result of the general election, 48% said right track and 43% wrong track. That’s a 20 percentage point jump from September when just 27% of surveyed voters were right track and 63% said wrong track.

Asked the same question on the direction of NC as a state, 50% reported saying the Old North State is now headed in the right direction compared to 28% who said wrong track, also up 38% for right track and 45% for wrong track from the October Carolina Journal poll.

As has been the trend for NC in recent elections, NC was divided in its support between Republican and Democratic candidates in the general election. While President Donald Trump carried the state by more than 183,000 votes, Democrats secured victories for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction. Meanwhile, Republicans maintained their dominance of the General Assembly but fell one vote short in the House of a supermajority.

Other significant findings from the poll include:

        *    Top issues: Voters identified inflation/prices (37%), immigration (32%), threats to democracy (31%), jobs/economy (24%), and abortion (22%) as the most important issues influencing their vote.

       * Confidence in election integrity: 69% of respondents expressed confidence in the fairness of the 2024 United States election, while 26% were not confident.

• Approval ratings: President Trump’s approval stood at 47%, with a 45% disapproval rate. Meanwhile, Governor-elect Josh Stein enjoyed a 53% approval rate, with 14% neutral and 25% disapproving.
• Reaction to election results: The poll revealed that 26% of respondents were satisfied with both federal and state results, while 25% were only satisfied with national outcomes but not state ones. Conversely, 34% were dissatisfied with national results but satisfied with state conclusions, and 10% were unhappy with both.
• Assessment of the party primary process: Satisfaction with the candidates produced by the primary process was expressed by 46%, compared to 43% who were dissatisfied.
• Influence of Mark Robinson: The candidacy of Mark Robinson, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, had no impact on 47% of voters’ decisions against other Republican statewide candidates. However, 24% said it influenced their decision significantly, 10% somewhat, and 12% a little.
• Top priorities for the General Assembly: Cutting taxes was prioritized by 32% of respondents, followed by improving state infrastructure (27%), increasing education spending (25%), increasing government transparency (20%), and reducing state spending (17%).
• Importance of bipartisan compromise: An overwhelming 90% emphasized the importance of cooperation between the new Democratic governor and the Republican-led General Assembly, with only 7% opposing this view and 3% remaining unsure.

David Bass is a senior contributor to the Carolina Journal