A new poll shows that Republican senators may have to think twice about supporting Donald Trump in the general election if they want to hold onto the Senate.
Sen. Richard Burr, for example, only leads challenger Deborah Ross in North Carolina by five points, 40 percent to 35 percent, according to a PPP poll. But the potential of a Trump-led ticket only giving him more headaches as he looks to win re-election in November.
According to the poll, 48 percent of all voters who say that that they would be less inclined to support the incumbent GOP senator if he chose to back Trump as the Republican nominee. Only 22 percent say Burr’s support for Trump would make them more likely to back Burr.
Both Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz trail former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a November matchup, the poll said. Trump sits two points behind Clinton, 44-42 percent, and voters view him unfavorably by almost a 2-1 margin. Meanwhile, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is the only Republican to top Clinton, and beats her 49-41.
Additionally, while 81 and 82 percent of Republicans say they would back Cruz or Kasich, respectively, only 73 percent say they would back Trump.
Burr, who is seeking his third term, is favored to win back his seat, with the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics rating his seat as Likely Republican.
