Burr Widens Leads Over Democratic Rivals in North Carolina Senate Race

First-term Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who had been stuck under the 50 percent support mark for months, now has reached that milestone and leads both of his potential Democratic opponents, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Feb. 23.

Burr leads Secretary of State Elaine Marshall 50 percent to 34 percent with 4 percent preferring another candidate and 12 percent undecided.

He leads former state Sen. Cal Cunningham 51 percent to 29 percent with 6 percent preferring someone else and 14 percent undecided.

Last month, Burr led Marshall 47 percent to 37 percent and Cunningham by 50 percent to 34 percent.

Burr benefits at this point from far greater support among fellow Republicans than Marshall or Cunningham do among Democrats. He gets just under 90 percent from Republicans in each match-up, while Marshall gets 61 percent support among Democrats and Cunningham gets 52 percent. Burr attracts about a quarter of Democratic voters. He enjoyes 2-to-1 leads over both Democrats among unaffiliated voters.

A Public Policy Polling survey conducted Feb. 12-15 showed Marshall with a big lead over the rest of the Democratic pack for the party's nomination, but half of voters were still undecided.

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