Trump loyalist Amanda Chase leads GOP rivals in Virginia governor race: poll

Virginia state Sen. Amanda Chase (R) is leading the Republican field for governor in the commonwealth, according to a poll from Christopher Newport University released on Friday. 

Seventeen percent of registered Virginia GOP voters said they supported Chase, while 10 percent said they backed former Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox (R). Another 6 percent said they supported tech businessman Pete Snyder. However, 55 percent said they were still undecided on who to support in the Republican field. 

Chase, an ardent supporter of President Trump, made national headlines after she was censured by Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate for her attendance at a Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally in Washington and for her praise for the rioters who breached the Capitol after the event. She has also come under fire for calling for martial law to overturn the 2020 presidential election. 

The state senator raised eyebrows last year when she went mask-free during the General Assembly’s special session week in August. She was later photographed sitting in a plexiglass box at the meeting. Images of her behind the glass were included in a New York Times article on Friday, in which she was quoted referring to the box as her “square of freedom.” 

Despite the critical coverage of Chase, the state senator told The Hill earlier this month that she has garnered widespread grassroots support within the party. 

If she ultimately prevails in her race, Chase will face off against the winner of the crowded Democratic primary field in November. The same CNU poll showed former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) leading the Democratic pack with 26 percent support from registered Democratic voters in the commonwealth, while 49 percent said they were undecided. 

The CNU survey was conducted on Jan. 31- Feb. 14, 2021 among 1,005 registered Virginia voters. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.