NC-Sen: Burr Under 40, Leads Marshall by 5

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Public Policy Polling (6/26-27, North Carolina voters, 6/4-6 in parens):

Elaine Marshall (D): 33 (39)
Richard Burr (R-inc): 38 (49)
Michael Beitler (L): 10 (n/a)
Undecided: 20 (16)
(MoE: ±4.4%)

PPP gives us their first post-runoff poll of Richard Burr's first re-election bid, and finds that it's more of the same for the incumbent:

The punditry has stated time and again that one reason the 2010 North Carolina Senate race won't be a repeat of the 2008 contest is that Burr has been much more visible than Dole was, but someone forgot to tell the voters that. 41% of North Carolinians think that Dole was more visible as a Senator than Burr has been to 32% who think Burr has been more visible, and 27% with no opinion. The feeling that Dole was more visible is held by Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike.

Burr's relatively anonymity for an incumbent Senator can be seen in his approval numbers. 28% of voters still have no opinion of him, with those who do splitting negatively. 34% like the job he's doing while 39% disapprove.

Marshall is still pretty unknown too despite 14 years in statewide office and a recently completed campaign to secure her party's nomination. 58% of voters have no opinion about her with 22% seeing her favorably and 20% unfavorably.

Remarkably (given the nature of the year), this race still isn't out of reach for Democrats. The problem, though, is that Marshall is seriously out-gunned financially. Never a prodigious fundraiser, it was disturbing to see that Marshall's campaign boasted about raising under $140,000 in the two-week period following her runoff win over ex-state Sen. Cal Cunningham. A level of fundraising at that pace would amount to less than $900K for a full fundraising quarter -- which just isn't enough to beat a Republican incumbent in a year like this. Marshall will need to find a way to step it up, because the DSCC will have their hands full with other races before they bankroll this one.

http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/7160/ncsen-burr-under-40-leads-marshall-by-5