We always knew this race was going to be a tossup, and in a 50/50 swing state like North Carolina, being up by a point over my Republican opponent is a big deal. It’s a testament to the work we’ve been doing and the momentum behind our campaign.
But it doesn’t mean we can get remotely comfortable.
Because the most important number in this poll isn’t actually my or my opponent’s percentage—it’s the 20% of voters who are still undecided.
Those are the voters who will make the difference in this race, and there are two possible futures for what happens with them.
In one future, we’re fully funded and able to run an aggressive messaging strategy. The undecided voters hear that I’m the first Democratic Treasurer candidate to have the support of both the NC Association of Educators and the State Employees’ Association since 2008.
They hear that I’m the only candidate in this race who’s served in elected office before.
They hear that my opponent wants to take the power of the pension and give it to legislative cronies so they can politicize the retirements of our public servants.
In the other future, though? We fall short. We don’t hit our targets. Maybe a few voters hear what we need them to, but mostly they hear my opponent’s distorted spin about our records and backgrounds, and for a lot of voters, I’m little more than a name and a party identification when they fill out their ballots.
We know that voters will side with us when they hear what we stand for and what our opponent stands for. But they have to hear it. And I need you to make that happen
John, there are just twelve weeks left until Election Day, and whether we win or lose will depend on how well we’re able to spread our message and reach that 20% of voters who haven’t made up their minds yet.
