Perdue in Charlotte

Ancedotally Bev Perdue has been getting good reviews in Charlotte since she took office. But the statistics back it up too.

Perdue's approval rating in the region has been better than it is overall statewide on our last three polls. In February she was at +11 statewide but +17 in Charlotte. In March it was +9 throughout the state and +13 in Charlotte. Our most recent survey showed a +1 for everyone and a +4 in Charlotte. On average that means she's doing four points better in the region than she is in North Carolina as a whole.

That's somewhat surprising. Our analysis in February showed that Perdue won every tv market in the state last fall except Charlotte where she lost 57-41.

Her strong standing there speaks to her outreach efforts since the election, but it may speak to something else as well: the results in greater Charlotte last year probably had a lot more to do with people liking Pat McCrory than they did with them disliking Bev Perdue. There may have been some 95th percentile followers of politics who really gave thought to the possibility of eastern North Carolina benefiting at the expense of Charlotte if Perdue was elected, but I think for the most part folks just knew McCrory and liked him rather than the region's vote really being an indictment of the Governor.