McCain Tops North Carolina Poll

July 1, 2008 3:00 p.m. EST

Raleigh, NC (AHN) - Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has the support of voters in the Tar Heel State, the Public Policy Polling said on Tuesday.

The presumptive Republican nominee leads Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), 45% to 41% in the state. Five percent of voters declared their support for Libertarian candidate Bob Barr and 9% said they were still undecided.

McCain is ahead of Obama among lifelong residents in North Carolina, 49% to 36%, while the Illinois senator has the edge among voters who moved to the state from somewhere else, 46% to 40%.

The Arizona senator also has a stronger hold on his voter base, with 83% support from self-described Republicans while Obama trails with 67% from Democrats.

"This may not be the year Democrats win the Presidential contest here, but the data showing Obama leading among non-natives is an indication that this state could become bluer as more and more people move here in the coming years," Public Policy Polling Dean Debnam said in a news release.

The economy topped a list of national concerns with 47% of voters, followed by the war in Iraq with 20% and moral and family values with 11%.

The results are based on interviews of 1,048 likely voters in the state from June 26-29. The margin of error is 3.0%.