Older voters are poised to play a decisive role in North Carolina's closely watched U.S. Senate race this November, according to recent bipartisan polling released by AARP.
The survey reveals that older North Carolinians are highly motivated to vote, driven by a mix of national affordability concerns and distinct local issues. A major gap in enthusiasm exists between generations, with 83% of voters age 50 and older rating their motivation to vote as a perfect ten, compared to just 66% of voters under 50. This high engagement is a continuation of recent trends, as voters age 66 and older alone accounted for 35% of all ballots cast in the state's primary election.
Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer, notes that candidates looking for an edge must directly address the everyday pressures facing this demographic, from grocery and gasoline prices to the future of healthcare.
The poll shows a divided and nuanced older electorate. In the overall Senate race, Democrat Roy Cooper holds an 11-point lead over Republican Michael Whatley among all voters, 53% to 42%. However, Whatley leads by 6 points among voters age 50 and older. Gender splits are also significant. While Cooper wins both men and women overall, men over 50 back Whatley by 16 points, while women over 50 remain highly competitive, with Cooper holding a narrow 3-point edge.
A critical 6% of the total state electorate consists of ticket-splitting swing voters over the age of 50, making them a prime target for both campaigns.
AARP North Carolina State Director Michael Olender emphasizes that older residents want plain answers on how candidates plan to protect their financial independence. According to the data, overall affordability is the top priority for voters over 50, followed by threats to democracy, and then Social Security and Medicare.
On national issues, 83% of older respondents call Social Security important to their vote, and 93% favor candidates who protect earned benefits. Additionally, 77% view Medicare as a vital issue, with 84% backing candidates who want to expand the program's power to negotiate prescription drug prices.
Locally, the anxieties turn to infrastructure and housing. The poll found that 80% of voters over 50 believe state policymakers should prevent the utility costs of new tech data centers from being passed on to residential consumers. Meanwhile, 74% support requiring communities to permit accessory dwelling units to help ease the state’s affordable housing shortage.
The survey of 1,115 likely voters was conducted between September 17 and 20 by the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
