When North Carolinians vote in the primary on May 6, the state of the economy is sure to have an impact on their decision.
RALEIGH -- When North Carolinians vote in the primary on May 6, the state of the economy is sure to have an impact on their decision. According to a recent Elon University Public Policy Poll, 35 percent of those surveyed said the economy was the most pressing issue facing the Tar Heel State; gas prices came in a distant second at 9 percent.
It’s no secret that gas prices are at record highs and the state unemployment rate is up for the third month in a row. Both are signs of the weakening U.S. economy. When voters head to the polls, many said it will definitely be on their minds.
"For me, it's actually the economy right now. That's a huge issue. “The economy is definitely something everyone should be thinking about,” Garner resident Ty Cohen said, and he’s not the only one.
"Right now they're looking at the economy. That is the overarching factor. For the Democratic primary, it's a major issue because they're determining who can best handle the economy at this point,” poll director Hunter Bacot said.
U.S. Capitol
All five democrats running for U.S. Senate nomination believe they are the candidate best equipped to turn around the Tar Heel State's economy.
Chapel Hill businessman Jim Neal and state Sen. Kay Hagen are the frontrunners in the race. Neal said, if elected, he will invest in what he calls homegrown wealth. He said he believes by ending the war in Iraq and repealing some of the Bush tax cuts, the country can invest money in small businesses and entrepreneurship.
Kay Hagen, meanwhile, is pushing what she calls a green economy. Like her opponent, she supports taking back some of the Bush tax cuts. She said she wants to increase production of alternative energy sources here in North Carolina, a move she believes will create jobs and lower energy costs.
The other three candidates in the race also have plans for the economy. Truck driver Duskin C. Lassiter supports replacing NAFTA and other free trade agreements with what he calls a balanced trade agreement.
Podiatrist Howard Staley said the government should take a mostly hands-off approach to the economy but said he supports investing in alternative fuels and in the production of energy-efficient goods.
Attorney Marcus W. Williams said, if elected, he will focus on small business and attracting clean, energy-efficient energy industry to North Carolina.
Those are stances that some, like Cohen, can get behind.
"I definitely want a candidate that realizes how much entrepreneurship fuels the economy and fuels our nation as a whole,” Cohen said.
Incumbent Elizabeth Dole will most likely be the Republican nominee for the Senate.