Civitas polling shows Sen. Marc Basnight (D-Dare) with a big lead over Republican challenger Hood Richardson when it comes to the preferences of registered voters in the district — 49% to 39%.
However, the man considered by many to be the most powerful Democrat in the state, has a real race on his hands when it comes to folks who say they will definitely vote in November. From analysis of the poll:
However, among voters who say they are definitely voting in November, Basnight’s lead shrinks to just one percentage point, 47%-46%.
“Senate President Marc Basnight is a North Carolina institution, but his district is changing underneath him, with many new voters moving in and those voters don’t have the same loyalty to him that long-time residents do,” said Civitas Institute Senior Legislative Analyst Chris Hayes. “Senate District 1 is certainly ‘in play’ this year, the question is, can Richardson raise the money to be competitive?”
Bottom line: If these numbers hold over the next 100 days, this race will be one to watch on Nov 2, rather than one of the first incumbent wins of the night. Absolutely fascinating.
