Square/Gallup Survey

North Carolina Small Business Owners Prefer Any Democratic Candidate over President Trump

According to a national survey conducted by Square and global analytics firm, Gallup, American small business owners are closely following the 2020 Presidential election and overwhelmingly plan to vote in November. With 60% paying “a lot of attention” and 30% paying “some attention,” this key group of voters, who account for more than 30 million businesses across the country, is more than highly engaged: 97% say they will likely cast a vote in the 2020 Presidential election.

Even though small business owners nationwide tilt more Republican (40%) than Democratic (33%) or Independent (26%), they are closely divided in whom they would support in the general election. By comparison, U.S. adults nationwide are less likely to identify as Republicans, according to Gallup.

Results show that small business owners in North Carolina prefer to vote for a Democratic candidate in the 2020 Presidential Election, unlike national small business owners who selected President Donald Trump (48%) in each hypothetical head-to-head match-up between two candidates, except Michael Bloomberg (52%). North Carolina’s small business owners chose all seven of the Democratic candidates over Donald Trump in the recent survey.

Nationwide, President Trump’s approval rating among small business owners is 60%, but it is 54% in North Carolina. North Carolinian business owners also identify as more moderate (44%) than the small business owners nationwide (37%).

The top general election contenders for small business owners in North Carolina are Mayor Pete Buttigieg who voters prefer to President Trump, 58% to 42%. Michael Bloomberg is supported by 56% of North Carolina’s small business owners over Trump (44%). Support for the Democratic candidates is higher among small business owners in North Carolina than nationally. Below is a breakout of North Carolina’s small business owners’ preferences for the presidential election:

Head to Head	Democratic Candidate	Donald Trump
Pete Buttigieg vs. Donald Trump	58%	42%
Michael Bloomberg vs. Donald Trump	56%	44%
Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump	55%	45%