The two most recent statewide polls suggest the race for Virginia governor is shaping up to be a close one. One poll comes from the Wason Center at Christopher Newport University. It shows likely Virginia voters favoring Democrat Terry McAuliffe over Republican Glenn Youngkin 49 to 45 %. 5% remain undecided. Another poll, this one from Emerson College in Boston, shows an even tighter race, with McAuliffe leading Youngkin by just one percentage point. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
WASON CENTER NEWS RELEASE: With voting underway, Democrats hold small but narrowing leads in Virginia’s statewide races, according to our survey of likely voters in the Nov. 2 general election. Since we polled these races in late August, Democratic leads have shrunk, and the contests for governor and lieutenant governor now stand within this survey’s margin of error (+/- 4.2%). Independent voters have moved significantly toward all three Republican candidates. Republican voters are more enthusiastic about voting than Democrats, with 61% of Republican likely voters indicating they are very enthusiastic compared to 55% of Democrats.
Governor: Democrat Terry McAuliffe maintains a narrow lead against Republican Glenn Youngkin, 49% to 45% in the race for governor. This represents a tightening in the race since our August 26 poll, which showed McAuliffe with a 9-point lead (50% to 41%).
Independent voters have shifted significantly, with Republican Youngkin gaining 11 points since late August (from 39% to 50%), while McAuliffe has lost ground among Independents (from44% to 41%).
Click here for full Wason Center Poll results and methodology.
Click here for full Emerson College Poll results and methodology.
