PPP’s newest North Carolina poll finds that Roy Cooper starts out his time as Governor with a solid approval rating. 45% of voters approve of the job he’s doing to 34% who disapprove. You have to go back to April 2013 to find the last time Pat McCrory had a net approval rating that good. Speaking of McCrory, voters want him to stay away. Only 38% think he should run for Governor again in 2020, to 52% who say he should keep out of it.

Cooper’s been most visible on the issues of HB2 repeal and Medicaid Expansion since being elected, and voters are firmly on his side on both of those issues:

-HB2 continues to be very unpopular, with only 32% of voters supporting it to 50% who are opposed. In general only 24% of voters think it’s helping the state, to 58% who think it’s hurting. On the specific issue of the economy, only 10% of voters think it’s helping the state while 57% believe it’s hurting. And voters don’t think it’s achieving its intended purpose- only 30% believe it’s making North Carolina safer to 52% who think it isn’t. Among women- who the bill is purportedly intended to protect- just 26% think it’s made the state safer.

Against that backdrop 51% of voters want to see HB2 repealed, to 37% who think it should be kept on the books. And voters who want to see HB2 repealed are clear on where the blame lies for that not happening in the special legislative session last month. 73% blame the General Assembly more for the lack of repeal, compared to only 17% who blame the city of Charlotte. And within the General Assembly, 68% say the lack of repeal is the Republicans’ fault, to only 15% who blame the Democrats. North Carolinians want HB2 repealed, they think the city of Charlotte and the Democrats in the legislature have done their part, and they’re waiting for the Republicans to follow through.

-Cooper also has the public with him on the issue of Medicaid Expansion. 63% of voters support that to only 25% who are opposed. Democrats are very unified in their support of expansion, 86/9, while Republicans are pretty evenly divided in their feelings about the issue with 38% in support and 41% opposed.

Cooper’s got the public with him on the issues that have been receiving the most attention, and that’s contributing to his initial strong approval numbers.

One other note: there continues to be strong bipartisan support for nonpartisan redistricting. 59% of voters in the state support drawing district lines in a nonpartisan fashion, to just 15% that are opposed to it. Independents (69/14) are most strongly supportive of nonpartisan redistricting but Democrats (59/14) and Republicans (49/17) are in favor of it too.

Full results here

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