North Carolina Voters, Inflation & The Economy

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – From groceries to gas, the cost of the things we buy on a weekly if not daily basis, has been up. “It is a concern,” a local teacher says. And a college student tells WCCB, “It’s very hard for me to afford gas and groceries as a college student.”

New polling suggests who voters trust to handle the overall economy is shifting. A Financial Times survey conducted from May 30 to June 3 finds Joe Biden is closing in on Donald Trump. Trump’s lead over Biden is now four points, down from 11 points in February.

With months to go before the election, polls are apt to swing quite a bit. Dr. Scott Huffmon is the Director of the Center for Public Opinion & Policy Research at Winthrop University. He tells WCCB News @ Ten anchor Morgan Fogarty, “Voters are focused on what they see and feel every week.” Huffmon says he does think the economy is the primary issue voters are thinking about. He says, “It is front of mind for many people. Both sides have a way they can take advantage of that, but they have to have people paying attention. And that really only happens the closer we get to Election Day.”

Right now, RealClearPolitics polling shows that in North Carolina, Trump leads Biden by more than five points. Some voters who talked with WCCB say the economy and inflation are on their mind. One woman tells us, “It’s up there. Not number one, but it’s definitely up there.”

Another says, “That will probably play into decision making for my husband and I.”

For others, it will not. “The economy’s been doing pretty well,” one woman tells us. Another voter says, “Having a sound leader making good judgments, that’s more important.”

The May inflation report will be released Wednesday. The feds target is 2 percent. Inflation has been holding at 3.5 percent since October. Despite that, consumer spending remains steady. We’ll bring you the key takeaways from the May report Wednesday on the News @ Ten.