A new East Carolina University poll shows Democrat Roy Cooper holding a seven-point lead over Republican Michael Whatley in the battle for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat.
The survey of likely voters puts the former governor ahead 46 to 39 percent, though a crucial 14 percent remain undecided with weeks left before Election Day.
According to ECU pollsters, pocketbook issues are driving the margin. Among the 43 percent of voters who say the economy is their top concern, Cooper leads Whatley by more than two to one.
Analysts say Whatley is also battling a name-recognition gap, with a third of voters still unfamiliar with the former RNC chair.
The poll features a credibility interval of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
