THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 20, 1996 TAG: 9609200552
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 43 lines
Republican Sen. Jesse Helms continues to lead Democratic challenger Harvey Gantt in an increasingly divisive North Carolina race for Helms' U.S. Senate seat, a new political poll reported Thursday.
Helms has the support of 50 percent of those polled to 40 percent for Gantt in the latest Mason-Dixon political survey. In July, Helms drew 48 percent of the straw votes to 42 percent for Gantt.
``The election continues to divide voters sharply along racial lines,'' said Del Ali, a Mason-Dixon polling executive in the polling firm's headquarters in Columbia, Md.
Gantt, an African-American architect in Charlotte, has the overwhelming support of North Carolina's black voters, 89 percent to 2 percent, the poll showed.
Among whites, Helms leads Gantt, 62 percent to 28 percent.
``Helms continues to run strongest in the rural regions of North Carolina - the Northeast, Southeast and in western Carolina, as well as in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem triad,'' Ali said.
Gantt has a slim lead in the Raleigh-Durham area and the two candidates appear to be even in the Charlotte region.
``Gantt does not appear to be the best candidate to take advantage of Helms' vulnerabilities,'' said Ali. ``Gantt continues to divide North Carolina voters almost as sharply as Helms does. Statewise, 36 percent still have a favorable opinion of Gantt, but 37 percent have an unfavorable view, up from 35 percent in July.''
Strong racial emotions involved in the Helms-Gantt race could work to Helms' advantage, the pollster reported.
``Whites account for 82 percent of those still undecided, while blacks account for only 18 percent of that group,'' Ali said. ``As in their 1990 race, this factor should ultimately work to Helms' advantage.''
By gender, Helms had the support of 56 percent of the men polled while Gantt was favored by 35 percent. Among women, Gantt was supported by 45 percent to Helms' 44 percent.
The Helms-Gantt poll was conducted among 646 whites and 167 blacks from Sept. 13 through Sept. 15.
KEYWORDS: POLL by CNB