The largest portion of Americans are unsure of Santa Claus’ party affiliation.

Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling released a survey this week that found a plurality of Americans aren’t sure whether Santa is a Republican, Democrat or another political party.

The results found 28 percent of Americans think Santa is a Democrat. Conversely, 22 percent of Americans think Santa is a Republican, according to the poll’s results. A total of 50 percent were unsure.

The latest poll results show a significant change from when Public Policy Polling first asked the question in 2012, when 44 percent of Americans believe Santa to be a Democrat. In 2012, 28 percent of Americans thought Santa was a Republican.

In its poll results, the Raleigh-based group says “Americans have been increasingly identifying as independents over the last few years and apparently that extends to their perception of Santa’s party affiliation as well.” The group notes the first poll results came immediately after President Barack Obama’s re-election to a second term.

For its Christmas-related findings, Public Policy Polling surveyed 1,267 voters on Dec. 16 and 17. Most people surveyed were polled by phone.

12th District race most competitive in March primaries

Mostly because of limited candidates who filed for office, only four local races deserve significant attention during 2016’s party primaries.

Filing for 2016 elections ended this week, and the 12th District race for U.S. House, by a good margin, stacks up as the most competitive local race scheduled for a March 2016 primary. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat, will face competition from two others — Gardenia Henley, of Winston-Salem, and Juan Antonio Marin Jr., of Hickory. The 12th District race will also require a GOP primary, with Leon Threatt, of Matthews, and Ryan Duffie, of Charlotte, running for the Republican nomination.

Winners of the primaries will face each other in the November 2016 General Election. The 12th Congressional District which stretches from Greensboro and Winston-Salem to Charlotte.

The next significant local races with primaries are Rowan County Commissioner and N.C. House District 77. In both competitions, one challenger will compete against incumbents during the March 2016 party primaries. Incumbent county commissioners Craig Pierce and Mike Caskey will face sheriff’s deputy Johnny Love, who came within a few hundred votes of advancing out of the 2014 primary for county commission. Incumbent N.C. House Rep. Harry Warren will face University of North Carolina Charlotte student Andrew Poston in the primary. It’s Poston’s first time running for elected office.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5, will also face primary competition in the March 2016 Republican primary from Kernersville resident Pattie Curran.

Other Christmas-related items bring political parties together

In the same survey that found Americans are unsure of Santa’s political party, Public Policy Polling found multi-colored lights and real Christmas trees are non-partisan issues.

The Raleigh-based group found 58 percent of Americans prefer colored Christmas lights over white lights and 52 percent prefer real Christmas trees to artificial ones. A majority of political parties responded in favor of colored lights and real Christmas trees.

Perhaps expectedly, most Americans, regardless of party affiliation, believe they’re on Santa’s “nice” list. Only 7 percent of Americans believe they’re on the naughty list.

Republicans were slightly more confident — a total of 82 percent who responded — about being on the “nice” list than Democrats. A total of 77 percent of Democrats thought they were on the “nice” list.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.