A new poll from the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University shows Democrat Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Winsome Earle-Sears by 12 points in the race for Virginia governor, 52% to 40%.
The survey, which was released Thursday, comes as early voting is set to begin across the Commonwealth on Friday.
According to the poll, Democrats also hold leads in the other statewide races. For lieutenant governor, Democrat Ghazala Hashmi leads Republican John Reid 48% to 37%. In the attorney general contest, the poll finds Democrat Jay Jones ahead of incumbent Republican Jason Miyares, 48% to 41%.
Key Voter Demographics and Issues
The Wason Center poll indicates Spanberger’s lead is bolstered by significant support from independents (55% to 32%), women (58% to 33%), and Black voters (85% to 6%). Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor, draws her strongest support from Republicans (91%), white voters (50% to 44%), and male voters (48% to 44%).
When likely voters were asked to name the top issue influencing their vote, 21% cited inflation and the cost of living. “Threats to democracy” followed at 18%, with K-12 education, immigration, and crime each identified by 9% of respondents.
Approval Ratings for Youngkin, Trump
The survey also measured the job performance of the current governor and president among Virginia’s likely voters. Governor Glenn Youngkin’s approval rating stands at 48%, with 42% disapproving. President Donald Trump’s approval rating is 39%, while 58% of respondents disapprove of his job performance.
The poll was conducted by phone from September 8-14, surveying 808 likely Virginia voters. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points.
