(RALEIGH) -- It's a statistical dead heat between the likely leading party candidates for governor in next year's election. Republican incumbent Pat McCrory leads Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper by one point, with 11 percent still undecided.

Poll director Kenneth Fernandez says being the incumbent doesn't always help. "Political scientists would say that incumbents generally have an advantage, but Hagan was able to be defeated by a challenger, so incumbency doesn't always matter. It's an important element, but this seems like it could be potentially a very interesting and close race," Fernandez said.

Fernandez says the most recent poll reflects the results of previous surveys.