North Carolina residents have a better opinion of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein than they do of President Donald Trump, according to a recent High Point University poll.
The survey shows Stein with a 46% job approval rating, well above water considering just 24% hold a unfavorable opinion of the Governor. The remaining 30% had no opinion.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, was upside down in the poll, with 47% of respondents disapproving of his job performance compared to just 41% who approved. Only 12% had no opinion.
Stein’s job performance may stem from his handling in recent weeks of ongoing recovery efforts following last year’s devastating Hurricane Helene. Stein has urged the federal government to boost funding by $13.5 billion for those affected.
Despite only taking office in January 2025, Stein, who is a former state Senator and North Carolina Attorney General, has advocated for residents who are still struggling to recover, saying in a statement during the storm’s one-year anniversary that he admires resident’s resilience.
“One year ago, Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina, altering the course of people’s lives and livelihoods,” Stein said in a press release. “Since then, I have been filled with pride and admiration for the strength and resilience of all the people I’ve met working their tails off to rebuild. Let us all use this milestone to recommit ourselves to match our neighbors’ grit and urgency in support of their recovery.”
The poll offers insight into issues that may drive the 2026 Midterm Election cycle. Responding to questions about Stein’s performance on a variety of issues, Stein earned high marks almost entirely across the board, but support fell off on issues for which conservatives are often passionate, including on LGBTQ+ issues and immigration.
More than half (51%) approve of Stein’s support for veterans, while half approve of his handling of election integrity, an issue often discussed among GOP politicians. Slightly less than half (49%) approve of his approach to civil rights, while 49% also approve of Stein’s handling of Hurricane Helene.
Stein’s actions on law enforcement earned a 48% approval rating, as did school safety. His handling on agriculture also received 48% approval, while his approach to education was favored by 47% of respondents. On transportation infrastructure, 46% approve of his work, while only 45% approve of Stein’s job creation efforts. His handling of health care posted just 44% approval.
Roughly two in five North Carolina (41%) respondents said they approve of Stein’s handling of Medicaid. The same number support his handling of opioid use, such as fentanyl. Stein’s approval on rural development sits at 40%, climate change at 39%, abortion at 38%, immigration at 38%, and LGBTQ policies at just 31% approval, and inflation scored the lowest with 29%.
The federal government fared much worse in the poll, with 49% of respondents indicating they disapprove of the U.S. Congress’ job performance, compared to just 31% who approve.
The North Carolina Legislature fared slightly better, with 35% approving of its performance, while 32% disapprove.
Meanwhile, 42% of respondents said they disapprove of the U.S. Supreme Court’s handling of recent cases, while just 35% approve. The North Carolina Supreme Court, however, is above water among residents, with 33% approving of its job performance, to just 29% who disapprove.
The poll was taken among 792 respondents, with a 3.3% credibility interval, an alternative methodology to more the more traditional margin of error, used because “participation (in the survey) does not adhere to usual assumptions associated with random selection.”
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