Civitas Poll: Republicans Surge to Historic Lead in Generic North Carolina Legislative Ballot

The Civitas Institute released a new poll this week showing Republicans surging in North Carolina’s state legislative generic ballot.  The poll of likely voters gives the GOP a 44-33 advantage — an 11-point lead and an 11-point surge since the July poll.  The generic ballot was tied 39-39 in the July Civitas poll.

Republicans now hold the largest lead in the history of the Civitas generic ballot poll.

“The political tide flowing towards Republicans seems to be picking up steam as we head into prime election season,” said Civitas Institute Senior Legislative Analyst Chris Hayes. “Meanwhile, Democratic enthusiasm has greatly waned since the 2008 election, prompting the question of whether or not the party can get their voters to the polls in November.”

The advantage among unaffiliated North Carolina voters is even more staggering: 49-14 in favor of the GOP.

“Unaffiliated voters, who resembled Democrats two years ago, are now abandoning the party in large numbers,” added Hayes. “With unaffiliated support for Democrats in the low teens, it could result in many more competitive races in legislative seats that were thought to be Democratic safeholds.”

In an election year, five weeks is an eternity. Generic ballot polls are great, but the only poll that really matters is the one on November 2nd. But the polling illustrates that the political wind remains at the backs of NC Senate Republicans.

The breeze is turning into a gal.

A once-in-a-century storm is brewing in North Carolina.

However, Republican victory in the NC Senate is not a foregone conclusion.  Democrats will stop at nothing to maintain their power.

Case in point: NC Senate District 11. Democrat A.B. Swindell stooped to lying about Buck Newton, calling him a drug dealer.  In NC Senate District 19, Democrat Margaret Dickson filed a complaint against Republican Wesley Meredith for his business advertising. If only Dickson and the Democrats focused their energies on creating jobs instead of lashing out at productive small business owners who are trying to make profit, protecting their livelihoods and their employees in this grinding economy.

The generic legislative ballot is a positive sign for NC Senate Republicans, but this campaign is still a battle against entrenched, desperate Democrats who aren’t used to losing.

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