Poll: Burr approval rating at 37%

Senator fares better with the public than Perdue and Hagan

By: JournalNow Staff | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 31, 2009

RALEIGH

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr has a 37 percent approval rating among adults in North Carolina as he prepares his campaign for re-election, according to a poll released yesterday.

The Elon University survey shows that 22 percent of respondents disapprove of the way Burr, a Republican, is handling his job. Forty-one percent didn't know how they felt about his performance.

Democrats are eager to challenge Burr in his re-election bid next year. His numbers are better than two Democrats in office -- Sen. Kay Hagan and Gov. Bev Perdue -- but his approval numbers are lower than those seen in a similar poll on former Sen. Elizabeth Dole two years ago.

Dole, who had approval ratings of 50 percent in September 2007, lost her bid for re-election last year.

"Given what happened to Dole, they should be very concerned by these numbers," said Hunter Bacot, Elon University's poll director.

"Among the public, there seems to be some lack of clarity of who he is and what he stands for."

The Elon poll surveyed 703 adults from Monday through Thursday of this week. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Hagan had an equal breakdown of people -- 35 percent on each side -- approving or disapproving of her work. Perdue's numbers show that 36 percent approve and 47 percent disapprove.

Paul Shumaker, Burr's longtime political consultant, said that the poll means nothing in the context of the 2010 election.

Shumaker noted that the poll surveyed the general public, not voters, and that Burr wasn't polled directly against any Democratic candidates.

But he did tout Burr's comparisons to Perdue and Hagan.

"I'm highly encouraged and highly optimistic," he said.

Bacot said that Burr's numbers may fluctuate quickly once Democrats settle on a candidate. He also said that the campaign has plenty of time to improve on the numbers, especially among the large segment of respondents who don't appear to know much about Burr.

President Obama received the highest marks in the survey, with 53 percent of respondents approving of his performance and 44 percent disapproving.