More than half of North Carolinians approve of Gov. Josh Stein’s actions during his first month on the job, according to a wide-ranging new poll from Meredith College that shows bipartisan support for the Democrat who ascended to the office after a lopsided victory in November. His ratings were likely buoyed by his early focus on relief for victims of Hurricane Helene, pollsters said.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents to the Meredith Poll said they approve of the job Stein is doing, while 19% disapprove. Notably, 22% said they have no opinion of the new governor, whose opponent – former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — garnered significant media attention for several scandals leading up to the election.
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The poll, released Thursday, found Stein’s approval at 65% among Democrats, nearly 54% with Republicans, and 55% with unaffiliated voters — support that was likely buoyed by Stein’s decision to quickly prioritize accelerated relief for victims of Hurricane Helene, said David McLennan, the poll’s director.
Voters tend to view governors more favorably than they do presidents and other elected officials in Washington. Stein’s predecessor, Democrat Roy Cooper, enjoyed support from a majority of North Carolinians, too.
McLennan pointed to efforts by Stein to work across the aisle on Helene recovery and frequent travel to Helene-affected areas as reasons for the early bipartisan support.
Stein’s first official action after being sworn in last month was to sign several executive orders targeted at Helene relief. One order created a new state agency called GROW NC to handle the work, taking over for the Rebuild NC program that drew criticism for slow and over-budget recovery efforts Cooper.
Stein was also part of a bipartisan group of North Carolina officials that successfully lobbied the Federal Emergency Management Agency to extend its temporary housing program for eligible participants during the winter. And earlier this month, Stein announced that his office is partnering with Dogwood Health Trust to launch a $30-million grant program for small businesses hurt by Helene.
“It is likely, however, that as partisan fights start with Republicans in the General Assembly over budget and proposed laws that his support among Republicans and others may wane,” McLennan said in a report accompanying the poll results.
The online poll of 703 people, conducted between Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, has a credibility interval of 3.75 percentage points. A credibility interval is similar to margin of error but takes into account more factors and is considered by some pollsters to be a more accurate measurement of statistical certainty.
The poll also asked respondents about an array of issues being discussed in North Carolina. Among them:
Lumbee recognition: The poll found strong support for granting full federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe, which is based in southeastern North Carolina. More than two-thirds of North Carolinians said they supported the idea, including 70% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans and 65% of unaffiliated voters.
President Donald Trump recently signed a memo ordering the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan for full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe, based in southeastern North Carolina.
The tribe, which has a population of about 60,000, has been seeking recognition from Congress for years to no avail as other tribes have cast doubt on the Lumbee’s stated history. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which has full federal recognition, contend that the Lumbee have "a history of shifting claims, including claiming Cherokee ancestry and other historical tribes," the band’s Principal Chief Michael Hicks said last month.
Casino gambling: A majority of North Carolinians want to legalize casino gambling in the state — outside of Native American reservations. Fifty-eight percent said they support the idea, while 32% said they oppose it, according to the poll. A WRAL News Poll found similar support last year.
North Carolinians can participate in the state’s education lottery, partake in charitable raffles, and bet on sports. However, despite recent efforts from some lawmakers, proponents of casino gambling have yet to legalize the activity on state land outside of reservations.
The Meredith Poll reported that the expansion of casino gambling is supported by 60% of Democrats, nearly 56% of Republicans and 57% of unaffiliated voters. But the poll found a divide among generational lines.
A majority of respondents between 29 and 60 years old support the idea, but the idea was less popular among the state’s youngest and oldest respondents. The idea was supported by 47% of people in the respective 18-29 and 61-79-year-old age groups.
“Most North Carolinians seem accustomed to all forms of gambling, so supporting casino gambling in the state does not seem unusual,” McLennan said. “We have the lottery and have just adopted online sports wagering in the state. Plus, many states, including those on the border of North Carolina, now have casino gambling so even citizens who might have had objections to casino gambling 20 years ago might be resigned to the fact that all forms of gambling are inevitable.”
Legalizing marijuana: Thirty-eight states have legalized the use of marijuana for certain medical conditions — but North Carolina remains a holdout despite support from a majority of residents. The new Meredith Poll found that 71% of North Carolinians said they support the idea, including a majority of every demographic group in the state — even those that identify as very conservative.
Meredith’s results track with previous polling on the issue. A September WRAL News Poll found that 70% of North Carolinians support legalizing medical marijuana.
The issue is likely to continue coming up at the legislature, where some lawmakers are gaining ground. The state Senate last year passed a bill known as the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act that would have allowed doctors to prescribe marijuana for a number of physical and mental conditions.
Democrats and Republicans alike supported the legislation, including Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger. The House, however, never took the bill up for a vote.
“With the public strongly behind such a law and most within the medical community supporting this legislation, it seems like this might be a good time to pass such a bill,” McLennan said.