NC voters’ top concern is troubling news for Republicans, poll shows | Opinion
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis has been warning his party for months that Medicaid cuts and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies could have consequences for Republicans — and a new poll suggests he might be right.
The poll was conducted by veteran political consultants Morgan Jackson and Paul Shumaker on behalf of Healthier United, a health care advocacy group that recently launched an initiative in North Carolina.
Health care will likely be one of the biggest issues on the ballot in November, especially in North Carolina, where voters have deep concerns about affordability. Nearly 75% of voters feel financial strain from health care costs, and said the cost of health care is a major barrier to maintaining good health, the poll found. Nearly 1 in 6 voters say that health care costs are so high that they’ve skipped needed health care.
It’s emerged as a defining issue in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race as well. Former Gov. Roy Cooper has slammed his Republican opponent, Michael Whatley, for supporting legislation that will deal major cuts to Medicaid coverage in North Carolina. But according to the poll, there is near-universal support for Medicaid, with nearly 95% of voters saying it is important. And Cooper, unlike Whatley, has also expressed support for extending the ACA subsidies that Congress allowed to expire at the end of last year. Two-thirds of voters said that extending the subsidies should be a “top priority” for Congress. Most Republicans representing North Carolina in Congress have opposed extending the subsidies, but GOP voters are evenly split on the issue, according to the poll.
Cooper’s message seems to be resonating with voters more than Whatley’s, at least for now. The poll showed Cooper with a commanding lead over Whatley. About 50% of voters say they’d vote for Cooper, while just 32% say they’d vote for Whatley. That’s one of Whatley’s worst polls of the campaign so far. Cooper has a sizable advantage with unaffiliated voters, and just barely trails Whatley with rural voters. Cooper has the edge with most groups, including men and women, urban and suburban voters, Black voters and every age group. Other than the slight lead among rural voters, the only groups that favor Whatley are Republicans and voters without a college degree, according to the poll.
Republicans seem to be largely disregarding the growing concerns over health care, though it’s at their own political peril. A GOP strategist in North Carolina told POLITICO this week that “Republicans, in either Raleigh or Washington, do not seem to be focused on anything that’s going to have a practical effect between now and Election Day to address voters’ concerns.” Yikes. In a closely divided state like North Carolina, that could make all the difference.
Deputy Opinion Editor Paige Masten is covering politics and the 2026 elections for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer.
