RICHMOND, Va. – Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger holds a 12-point lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the Virginia governor’s race, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The poll of registered voters shows Spanberger with 49% support compared to 37% for Earle-Sears. The results indicate an increase in Spanberger’s lead from a December 2024 Commonwealth Poll, which showed her ahead of Earle-Sears 45% to 35%.
The poll also found Democrats leading in down-ballot races. For lieutenant governor, Democratic state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi leads Republican John Reid 46% to 36%. In the attorney general’s race, Democratic former Del. Jay Jones is ahead of incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, 47% to 38%. All three Democratic leads are outside the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 4.16 percentage points.
“The poll results show a clear message from the voters: Performance matters, and so do priorities. This poll should be a wakeup call,” said L. Douglas Wilder, the 66th governor of Virginia. “The shift from education to economic and personal freedoms shows an engaged electorate.”
The poll found that the rising cost of living remains the top issue for voters, cited by 28% of respondents. It was followed by women’s reproductive rights and immigration, which were tied at 14%. This marks a significant shift from the December 2024 poll, where K-12 education was the second-most important issue for voters.
Approval ratings for Virginia’s current political figures were also measured. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin holds a 49% approval rating, with 39% disapproving. This represents a slight dip from his 51% approval in the previous poll.
President Donald Trump’s approval among Virginia voters is lower, with 40% approving and 55% disapproving. His disapproval is particularly high among independents, with 66% viewing his performance unfavorably.
The poll was conducted from June 19 to July 3, 2025, with a representative sample of 764 registered voters in Virginia.
