Voting stickers (Image used under license from Shutterstock.com)
Anthony DeHart
Tuesday, March 5, is primary election day across the state and much of the country, with 15 states holding primary contests on so-called Super Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley have both held events in North Carolina over the weekend, while Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in Durham on Friday.
Tuesday’s primary is about more than just the presidential primary, however, as there are a number of races on the ballot. Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling, is watching the governor’s races closely.
“We’re definitely headed to a general election contest between Josh Stein and Mark Robinson,” Jensen said. “I think Josh Stein is going to end up getting somewhere around 75 or 80% of the vote in the Democratic primary, so that certainly hasn’t been very competitive. And the Republican primary hasn’t either.”
Jensen says it’s interesting that the Republican primary hasn’t been very competitive.
“I think a lot of people would say that state treasurer Dale Falwell is the most qualified candidate in the Republican race,” Jensen said. “And then the businessman Bill Graham has certainly spent a lot of money on the race, but not to much effect.”
Despite such seemingly stiff competition, Jensen says Mark Robinson has maintained a healthy lead. “We’ve continuously found Mark Robinson about 30 [or] 35 points ahead of either of his opponents,” Jensen said.
Tom Jensen, the Director of Public Policy Polling, was the guest on this week’s edition of ‘Carolina Newsmakers’ with Don Curtis. You can listen to the latest episodes here.