Cooper holds 11-point lead over Whatley in North Carolina Senate race: Poll

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has a double-digit lead over his competitor, former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley, in his state’s Senate race, according to a new poll.

In the AARP poll, released Monday, 53 percent said they would “definitely” or “probably” back Cooper or leaned toward doing so in the case the election happened that day, while 42 percent said the same of Whatley. One percent backed “someone else” and 5 percent were unsure about their candidate of choice.

The poll comes amid a problematic electoral environment for Republicans, with slumping approval ratings for President Trump, widespread concerns about the cost of living, the unpopular Iran war and other factors creating hurdles for the GOP as the midterms near.

According to a polling average from Decision Desk HQ, Trump’s approval rating was sitting at 38.8 percent as of Sunday evening, while his disapproval rating was at 59.6 percent.

Earlier this month, Trump made a campaign stop in North Carolina, rallying for Whatley, with Republicans keen to hold onto the Senate seat.

Trump has secured North Carolina in his three runs for the presidency, with the president telling the crowd in Gastonia, N.C., at the time that Whatley helped him get those wins.

“We won those record-setting victories with the help of a man named Michael Whatley,” Trump said in mid-September. “He was incredible.”

Trump then praised Whatley for his time heading up the RNC with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.

The AARP poll took place Sept. 17 to 20, featuring 1,115 likely voters and plus or minus 2.9 percentage points as its margin of error.