Three-in-four North Carolina likely voters believe that tariffs will make products more expensive. According to the latest Carolina Journal Poll, which surveyed 614 likely North Carolina voters, 52.5% of voters believe that it is “likely” that higher tariffs on imported goods will lead to more manufacturing jobs being created in the United States.
The survey also found that a plurality of voters believe there will not be any benefits from tariffs (40.6%). However, 17.8% are willing to wait two to three years to see economic benefits, and another 16.1% are willing to wait one year. Similarly, nearly half of voters — 49% — believe that tariffs will raise consumer prices and hurt businesses, but a nearly comparable 41% believe they are necessary to protect American industries.
Crucially, voters believe that tariffs are a poor way to create manufacturing jobs when given alternative pathways. Just 10% of voters picked tariffs, while 26.3% picked a policy of non-interference by government, 24.5% picked rolling back government regulations, and 23.2% picked lowering taxes on manufacturers.
“These poll results show that North Carolinians recognize the economic trade-offs of tariffs—even as they express support for protecting American manufacturing,” said Carolina Journal publisher and John Locke Foundation CEO Donald Bryson. “Rather than isolating the U.S. with trade barriers, policymakers should pursue pro-growth reforms that make it less expensive to produce goods at home, without making all goods more expensive through tariffs and the retaliatory measures they provoke.”
On broader economic issues, voter sentiment reflects increasing concern. Over half of North Carolina respondents, at 53.5%, believe the economy is worsening, contrasting with 32.3% who see improvement. When asked about evidence of a worker shortage, 68.3% of voters said they noticed signs of a worker shortage in the businesses they regularly interact with. Around a quarter of respondents said they did not notice signs of a worker shortage.
The poll also tracked favorability ratings of key political figures in North Carolina, revealing a sharp contrast in public perception. Gov. Josh Stein has a 48.1% favorable rating, with 23.9% unfavorable. Former Gov. Roy Cooper holds similarly steady, with 47.5% favorable and 36.6% unfavorable results. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis suffers the lowest net image at 26.4% favorable and 46.1% unfavorable. President Trump’s approval remains polarized, closely splitting respondents at 45.5% favorable and 50.8% unfavorable.
The Carolina Journal poll also explored key policy questions on social and governance topics. When asked their viewpoint on Sunday hunting restrictions, 43.7% of respondents expressed support for lifting restrictions, compared to 30.7% who favored keeping them in place.
On the topic of defining “woman” in legal terms, 63.6% of voters supported defining a “woman” as someone assigned female at birth, with 28.6% opposing such a definition. Self-identified conservatives almost unanimously (92%) support this definition of “woman,” as well as 59% of moderates. Only around a quarter (23%) of self-identified liberal voters support this definition, with 65% in opposition.
Meanwhile, the poll found strong backing for raw milk sales, with 58.5% of voters indicating support for allowing dairy farmers to sell raw milk directly to consumers under health guidelines. A smaller percentage, 26.8%, were opposed. Rural North Carolinians showed the strongest support for raw milk, with 69% approving of its sale. Urban residents were more evenly split, with 47% in support and 42% in opposition.
Housing remains a critical issue, with 34.3% of respondents stating that increasing funding for affordable housing programs is the most effective way to address shortages. Other solutions, such as tax incentives for developers (22.5%) or easing zoning restrictions (7.8%), were less favored. A significant portion, 20.6%, believes that policies should remain under local government control.
When asked if the state government should be allowed to step in and override local government decisions about housing density, voters were split. About a third of voters (34%) said the state government should not be able to interfere with local government decisions, while 13.2% said the state government should always be granted the authority to override local decisions, and 39.2% said the state should be able to step in under specific circumstances, such as a housing crisis.
On the topic of flag displays in state buildings, 62.9% of respondents supported enforcing restrictions to ensure only official government flags are displayed, promoting ideological neutrality. A smaller but notable 26.3% opposed such measures.
Education policies also garnered strong opinions, particularly on the practice of setting a minimum grade for students, such as a guaranteed 50%, even if no work was completed. An overwhelming majority (84.7%) of respondents disapproved of the idea, with only 8.4% expressing approval. Finally, legalized sports betting emerged as a divisive issue. While 28.9% of participants supported the concept, a larger percentage, 40.4%, viewed it unfavorably.
