Bush, Kerry close in N.C., poll says

In what may be the closest presidential race in the state since 1992, Democrat John Kerry is within 3 percentage points of President Bush in a new poll.

Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney hold a lead of 48 percent to 45 percent over Kerry and his running mate, Sen. John Edwards, according to a poll conducted this week [by Research 2000] for The News & Observer, WRAL-TV and WUNC radio.

In recent decades, North Carolina has been solidly Republican in presidential voting. Bush beat former Vice President Al Gore by 13 percentage points four years ago. The closest Democrats have come in recent years was in 1992, when Bill Clinton lost to President George H.W. Bush 44 percent to 43 percent. Jimmy Carter, in 1976, was the last Democrat to win the state.

Polling Data

What candidate would you vote for in the 2004 U.S. presidential election?

	Aug. 2004	Jul. 2004	Jun. 2004
George W. Bush (R)	48%	49%	47%
John Kerry (D)	45%	44%	42%

Methodology: Interviews to 600 likely North Carolina voters, conducted from Aug. 8 to Aug. 11, 2004. Margin of error is 4 per cent.

Raleigh News and Observer