Democrat Cheri Beasley deadlocked with Republican Rep. Ted Budd in North carolina

North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race is a statistical dead heat with the economy as the driving issue for voters in all parties, according to a WRAL News Poll released on Monday.

The online survey found 43% of likely voters favor Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, while 42% prefer the Democrat, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. Thirteen percent of the 677 likely voters surveyed are undecided. Two percent plan to back Libertarian candidate Shannon Bray, and less than 1% support Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh.

The poll, which was conducted in partnership with SurveyUSA from Wednesday to Sunday, reported a credibility interval of 4.4 percentage points. A credibility interval is similar to a margin of error but takes into account more factors and is considered by some pollsters to be a more accurate measurement of statistical certainty.

The WRAL survey is the third public opinion poll released over the past week showing Beasley and Budd within a single percentage point of one another. Civitas, a conservative nonprofit organization, last week had Beasley ahead of Budd by 0.3 of a percentage point with 10% of respondents undecided. A Meredith College poll on Thursday reported Budd up by 0.3 of a percentage point with 12% of respondents undecided.

Political onlookers say the race will remain tight leading up to Election Day on Nov. 8, with the economy and concerns over abortion access having an outsize influence on the results.

Cheri Beasley wins North Carolina Democratic Senate primary

Cheri Beasley, a former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, won her state’s Democratic primary for the United States Senate, clearing out competitors in a 10-way race with an emphasis on her judicial credentials and her ability to work with law enforcement and apply the law fairly.

The win puts Ms. Beasley, 56, a former public defender who climbed the judicial ranks and made history as North Carolina’s first Black Supreme Court chief justice, closer to becoming its first Black senator.

“Were going to just keep doing what were doing today, and certainly we have been very thoughtful about the next phase. It’s been awesome to have been able to really plan for it and build the infrastructure for the next part of this election, so we’re excited about that,” Beasley said.

Beasley will the winner of the Republican Primary, Rep, Ted Budd in the general election on November 8.

Cheri Beasley: First African American woman Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court

Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday that Cheri Beasley will be the next Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Beasley will be the first black woman to lead the North Carolina Supreme Court.