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North Carolina: Romney 46%, Obama 44%

In the first Rasmussen Reports look at one of the key swing states in this year’s presidential election, likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney and President Obama are in a tight race in North Carolina.

The former Massachusetts governor just edges the president 46% to 44%, according to a new statewide survey of Likely Voters. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on April 10, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

29% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

For the third week in a row, 29% of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction. The latest finding is from a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, April 8, and remains down five points from a recent high of 34% measured in early February.

When President Obama assumed office in January 2009, voter optimism rose to 27%, then climbed into the 30s, peaking at 40% in early May of that year. In 2010, confidence steadily decreased.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports April 2-8, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Massachusetts: Obama 51%, Romney 40%

President Obama continues to hold a double-digit lead in Massachusetts over Mitt Romney, governor of the state from 2003 to 2007.

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters in Massachusetts finds Obama earning 51% support to Romney's 40%.  Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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This Massachusetts survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted April 9, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

North Carolina Governor: McCrory (R) 45%, Dalton (D) 36%

For Republican gubernatorial hopeful Pat McCrory, the second time’s the charm so far. The unsuccessful 2008 GOP candidate for governor in North Carolina leads all three of his major Democratic opponents in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of this year’s gubernatorial contest.

A new telephone survey of Likely Voters in North Carolina finds McCrory earning 45% support to Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton’s 36%. Five percent (5%) like another candidate, and 14% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted on April 10, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

New Mexico: Obama 52%, Romney 36%

President Obama continues to hold a double-digit advantage over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in New Mexico. 

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Obama earning 52% support to Romney’s 36%. Nine percent (9%) prefer some other candidate, and three percent (3%) are undecided.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

If Rick Santorum is the Republican nominee, Obama leads the former Pennsylvania senator by a similar 53% to 38% margin.  Given that matchup, five percent (5%) favor another candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided.

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This New Mexico survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on April 3, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Massachusetts Senate: Warren (D) 46%, Brown (R) 45%

Republican Senator Scott Brown and his chief Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren, are now running neck-and-neck in Massachusetts’ red-hot U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Massachusetts shows Warren edging Brown by one point, 46% to 45%. One percent (1%) likes some other candidate in the race, and eight percent (8%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Massachusetts was conducted on April 9, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 45%, Democrats 40%

Republicans hold a five-point lead over Democrats on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, April 8. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 40% would choose the Democrat instead. A week ago, the Republican led by six points, 45% to 39%.

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The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from April 2-8, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

36% Say Better to Invest in Fossil Fuels Than in Alternative Energy

Americans recognize more strongly than ever that there is a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection. Support for investing in fossil fuels like oil and gas is also at a new high amidst near-record gas prices and the ongoing political debate over development of the Keystone XL pipeline which President Obama has blocked for environmental reasons.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of Likely Voters think there’s a conflict between economic growth and environment protection. Thirty-one percent (31%) disagree, while 17% are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 4-5, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Supreme Court’s Ratings Jump Following Health Care Hearings

Just before the highly publicized hearing on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care law, ratings for the U.S. Supreme Court had fallen to the lowest level ever measured by Rasmussen Reports. Now, following the hearings, approval of the court is way up.

Forty-one percent (41%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate the Supreme Court’s performance as good or excellent, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s up 13 points from 28% in mid-March and is the court’s highest ratings in two-and-a-half years.

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This national survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on April 6-7, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Obama Leads Romney, Santorum By Three in Core Four States (FL, NC, OH, VA)

President Obama now holds identical three-point leads over Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum in combined polling of the key swing states Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.

New Rasmussen Reports telephone surveying finds that Obama picks up 47% of the vote to Romney’s 44%. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia was conducted on March 31 – April 5, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

53% Say Obama is Governing Like a Partisan Democrat

Since just months after his inauguration, voters have consistently felt more strongly that President Obama is governing like a partisan Democrat than in a bipartisan manner.

Now, 53% feel that way, the highest finding since early December 2010. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 32% of Likely U.S. Voters disagree and think he is governing on a bipartisan basis. The latter figure is unchanged from last month which marked the lowest finding in a year. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This national survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on April 2-3, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

29% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, April 1.

The latest finding is unchanged from a week ago and down five points from a recent high of 34% measured in early February.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports March 26-April 1, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Montana: Romney, Santorum Still Lead Obama

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum continue to lead President Obama in hypothetical Election 2012 matchups in Montana, a state last won by a Democratic presidential candidate 20 years ago.

Romney receives 49% support from Likely Voters in the Treasure State to Obama’s 40%. A new Rasmussen Reports statewide survey finds that nine percent (9%) prefer some other candidate, while two percent (2%) are not sure.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Santorum leads the president 48% to 41% among Montana voters. Eight percent (8%) favor another candidate, and three percent (3%) are undecided.

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Montana was conducted on April 2, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

New Mexico Senate: Heinrich (D) 46%, Wilson (R) 42%

The U.S. Senate race in New Mexico remains tight between former Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson and two potential Democratic opponents.

A statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters finds Democratic Congressman Martin Heinrich picking up 46% of the vote against Wilson who draws 42% support. Seven percent (7%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This New Mexico survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on April 3, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Montana Senate: Rehberg (R) 47%, Tester (D) 44%

Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg still maintains a very narrow advantage over Democratic incumbent Jon Tester in Montana’s closely contested U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Montana Voters shows Rehberg with 47% support to Tester’s 44%. Six percent (6%) like some other candidate in the race, and three percent are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This Montana survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted on April 2, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Rasmussen Employment Index Dips Following Recent High

After reaching a three-year high in February, the Rasmussen Employment Index slipped four points in March to 83.5

Twenty-two percent (22%) of working Americans in March reported that their firms are hiring while 20% report layoffs. The hiring number is down one point from February.

Generally speaking, a decrease in the Rasmussen Employment Index suggests the upcoming government reports on job creation will be weaker than the prior months. The Index measures workers’ perceptions of the labor market and is reported each month.

The survey of 8,987 working Americans was conducted in March 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Obama Full-Month Approval Index Slips in March

When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.

Overall, approval of the president has stayed within the narrow two-point range it has been in for all of 2012.

In March, 26% of voters Strongly Approved of the president’s job performance, showing no change since February but up two points from January. The number who Strongly Disapproved of the job Obama is doing was at 41% in March, up two points from last month.

Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night. The monthly numbers in this article are based on approximately 15,000 interviews each month with likely voters. The margin of sampling error is less than +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

6% Rate Congress’ Job Performance As Good or Excellent

Positive ratings for Congress are back in the single digits where they have been for the past year.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that six percent (6%) of Likely U.S. Voters now rate Congress’ performance as good or excellent.  Sixty-eight percent (68%) think Congress is doing a poor job.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 29-30, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 45%, Democrats 39%

Republicans hold a six-point lead over Democrats on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, April 1. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Democrat instead. The week before, the Republican led by five points, 43% to 38%.

The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from March 26-April 1, 2012. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage point with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Partisan Trends: Republicans 36.4% Democrats 33.4%

The number of Democrats in the United States rebounded in March after falling to a record low in February. However, for the fourth consecutive month, more people consider themselves Republicans than Democrats.

During March, 36.4% of Americans considered themselves Republicans while 33.4% were Democrats. For the GOP, that’s a gain of 0.4% from a month ago. Democrats gained a full percentage point from February.

Rasmussen Reports tracks this information based on telephone interviews with approximately 15,000 adults per month and has been doing so since November 2002. The margin of error for the full sample is less than one percentage point, with a 95% level of confidence.