McAuliffe, Youngkin statistically tied ahead of Virginia governor election: poll

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin are statistically tied in a new poll released this weekend as Virginians prepare to head to the ballot box on Tuesday to choose their next governor.

The poll, conducted by Roanoke College, found that McAuliffe leads Youngkin among likely voters by 1 percentage point in a 47 percent to 46 percent match-up.

Six percent of the 571 likely voters polled from Oct. 14 to Oct. 28, however, remain undecided. And with a polling margin of error of 4.1 percentage points, the two candidates are in a dead heat.

Republicans appeared to be more enthusiastic about the race. Forty-nine percent of Republicans said they were extremely enthusiastic about voting, compared to just 32 percent of Democrats.

Interest in the off-year race is running high, as experts say it could serve as a bellwether for next year’s midterm elections.

McAuliffe and Youngkin have traded jabs throughout the campaign season, knocking each other for their policy views and affiliation with national politicians.

According to the poll, 38 percent of likely Virginia voters think the economy is the most important issue ahead of the election, followed by education at 22 percent and COVID-19 at 13 percent.

Former President Trump has also been a leading topic of conversation on the campaign trail. McAuliffe has sought to link Youngkin to Trump since he lost Virginia in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, but the Republican nominee is trying to keep his distance from the former president.

Youngkin said he was honored to receive Trump’s endorsement, but the two have not appeared on the campaign trail together. Trump is scheduled to stump for Youngkin at a tele-rally Monday night.

Trump’s favorability rating among likely Virginia voters is 37 percent, with 54 percent unfavorable, according to the poll.

For comparison, the survey found that 44 percent of those polled approve President Biden’s job performance, while 50 percent disapprove.

McAuliffe’s favorability rating among likely voters in the commonwealth is 44 percent, with an unfavorable rate of 43 percent. Youngkin tracked a 45 percent favorability rating, with 37 percent unfavorable.