PPP Poll: Background Check Votes Helped Hagan, Landrieu With Voters

A new poll finds that Democratic Sens. Kay Hagan and Mary Landrieu boosted their chances for re-election after casting votes to expand background checks for gun purchases.

The Public Policy Polling survey found that more than 70 percent of voters in the senators' respective states favor stronger background checks.

Seventy-one percent of Louisiana voters polled say they favor background checks. Twenty percent were opposed. Support crosses party lines with Democrats favoring background checks at 80 percent, independents 72 percent and Republicans 61 percent.

Fourty-four percent of Louisiana voters say they are more likely to support Landrieu for re-election because of her vote for stronger background checks. Twenty-six percent said they would be less likely.

In Hagan's state of North Carolina, 73 percent support background checks. There is also widespread support there, with 86 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of independents and 61 percent of Republicans favoring them.

Fifty-two percent of voters say they're more likely to vote for Hagan in the next election. Only 26 percent would be less likely.

Their Republican counterparts didn't fare as well. Fifty percent of North Carolinians said they would be less likely to vote for Sen. Richard Burr because of his vote against expanded background checks, and 40 percent in Louisiana said they would be less likely to vote for Sen. David Vitter because of his vote.

The polls have margings of error of plus or minus 4.2 percent for the Louisiana survey and plus or minus 4.0 percent for the North Carolina survey. They were conducted on behalf of the liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change.