HPU Poll: More North Carolinians Say Country Is On The Wrong Track

A new poll from High Point University finds more pessimism among North Carolinians about where the country is going. 

Only 15 percent of respondents said the country is heading in the right direction, while 77 percent said things have gotten off on the wrong track.

That's about 20 percent more who say the country is going in the wrong direction compared to a similar poll taken less than three months ago 

Since then, the toll from the pandemic has increased and the U.S. has faced a reckoning on racial justice that has led to protests and counter-protests across the country.

The poll also found weak support for the state's GOP U.S. Senators. Thom Tillis, who is running for reelection against Democrat Cal Cunningham, had an approval rating of 32 percent. For Richard Burr, only a quarter of respondents approved of his job performance.

Half of those polled approved of Gov. Roy Cooper's job performance.

More people disapproved than approved of President Donald Trump's handling of his office. But the difference was only six percent, with 49 percent disapproving and 43 percent approving.

The poll did not ask about who people would vote for in this year's races. A series of other polls from this month found the presidential race in North Carolina close enough to be within the margin of error.

The poll surveyed 422 registered voters and has a margin of error of 6.2 percent.