Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a slight lead over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton among likely voters in North Carolina, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey out this week.

The poll showed that 45 percent of the 1,024 likely North Carolina voters surveyed favored Trump over the 43 percent who favored Clinton. That puts the two rivals in a statistical tie.

Only 6 percent of those surveyed favored Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and 7 percent remained undecided, according to the poll, which was conducted Sept. 18 to Sept. 20.

Public Policy Polling President Dean Debnam expressed that Clinton could win if she courts the segment of voters that still like President Obama. “She doesn’t need them to love her — that ship has probably sailed –but she and her surrogates just need to find a way to convince them she’s better than Trump,” Debham said.

The poll notes that five percent of President Barack Obama’s 2012 voters are among the 45 percent of likely voters who now favor Trump.

Among the likely voters, 43 percent self-identified as Democrat, 33 percent as Republican and 24 percent as independent or other.

Almost equal numbers of respondents disapproved (48 percent) and approved (47 percent) Obama’s job performance.

North Carolina voters polled have identical favorability ratings of Trump and Clinton: 40 percent finding each favorable, 55 percent unfavorable.

Of those polled, 63 percent responded that they think Trump should release his tax returns, while 24 percent said it wasn’t necessary.

Seventy-one percent of Trump-favoring North Carolina voters surveyed believe that if Clinton wins, it will be because of voter fraud.

A RealClearPolitics average of four recent polls including this most recent PPP poll show Trump up one point on Clinton.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana