Poll: Support for gay marriage lags in Southern states

Support for legalization of gay marriage in a number of red-leaning, Southern states lags far behind the national average, according to a new poll. 

Support did not rise above 44 percent in North Carolina, Louisiana, Kentucky or Arkansas, according to a survey done by The New York Times and the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

{mosads}According to a recent Washington Post poll, 50 percent of people nationally believe gay couples have a constitutional right to marry, while 59 percent said they support it. 

The New York Times did not specifically ask about for support for gay marriage in the four Southern states that are housing competitive Senate elections this year. The poll asked whether it should it be legal for gay couples to marry. 

Arkansas voters were the least likely to say gay marriage should be legal. Thirty-five percent said it should, while 57 percent said it should not be legal. 

In Louisiana, 36 percent said it should be legal, compared to 56 percent who thought the opposite. 

In Kentucky, 38 percent supported legalization, while 54 percent did not. 

In North Carolina, 44 percent supported legalizing gay marriage, while 49 percent did not. 

President Obama’s approval rating in the four states also lagged behind the national average. His approval rating was 32 percent in Kentucky, 33 percent in Arkansas, 41 percent in North Carolina and 42 percent in Louisiana. 

The poll surveyed about 900 registered voters in each state and has a 4 percent margin of error.