THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170332
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: By MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 33 lines
Three weeks before Election Day, Bob Dole holds a slight lead over President Bill Clinton in ``a rather static'' North Carolina presidential race, a Mason-Dixon political poll reported Wednesday.
Statewide, 48 percent of probable North Carolina voters said they favored Dole, while 43 percent supported Clinton and 2 percent backed Ross Perot, the survey showed.
Seven percent of those queried from Oct. 13 to Oct. 15 remained undecided, said Brad Coker, a director of the Mason-Dixon polling organization in Columbia, Md.
``The new figures are similar to the 47- to 42-percent lead Dole held in September,'' Coker said.
Dole has consistently topped Clinton in North Carolina in five statewide polls conducted by Mason-Dixon for The Virginian-Pilot since February.
Clinton's greatest popularity was recorded in July when he trailed Dole 44 to 43 percent.
The gender gap between Dole and the President remained notable. Dole holds a 53 percent to 40 percent advantage among men in the latest poll, while Clinton leads 46 percent to 43 percent among women.
Black voters in North Carolina overwhelmingly favor the President by 91 percent to 4 percent, the poll showed. Dole holds a 59 to 30 percent edge among whites.
In summarizing, Coker said, ``Clinton remains relatively unpopular in North Carolina.''
KEYWORDS: PRESIDENTIAL RACE 1996 POLL by CNB