Poll: Virginia Governor Race Remains Tight, 10% of Voters Undecided

Virginia’s gubernatorial race is heating up as Election Day stands at roughly six weeks away, with former Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe leading Republican Glenn Youngkin by four points, a Presidential Coalition poll conducted by Kellyanne Conway found.

The survey asked respondents to choose between the former governor and his Republican challenger. When asked who they would vote for or who they would lean toward, 46 percent said McAuliffe, compared to 42 percent who chose Youngkin.

Republican gubernatorial candidate, Glenn Youngkin arrives for an event in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Notably, ten percent said they remain undecided — more than enough to swing the race in either direction.

According to Politico:

A memo accompanying the survey, however, argues that McAuliffe faces a rocky road thanks to a political environment that is turning against his party. The poll shows Biden’s approval rating in Virginia at 49 percent, with 48 percent disapproving of his performance — a drop-off from that comfortable 10-point margin of victory he enjoyed over Trump there last November.

“This is a nagging and growing liability for McAuliffe,” the memo says.

The survey also asked respondents to gauge their favorability of the candidates. According to the results, 48 percent labeled McAuliffe as “favorable,” compared to 45 percent who said the same of Youngkin. Notably, a plurality of voters, 30 percent, identified jobs and the economy as the most pressing issue in Virginia today, while 28 percent said the coronavirus and vaccinations.

The survey, taken September 17-19, 2021, among 700 likely voters in Virginia, has a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percent.

CAUGHT: Terry McAuliffe, the Virginia Democrat vying to be governor, was spotted on Amtrak without a mask, apparently ignoring federal law. https://t.co/HAagbCNLnl

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) September 16, 2021

It coincides with a Washington Post-Schar School poll showing a tight race, with McAuliffe holding a 3-point lead over Youngkin among likely voters,  50 percent to 47. It also found Youngkin leading McAuliffe among independent likely voters 52 percent to 44 percent.

FiveThirtyEight’s poll tracker currently shows McAuliffe leading by 3.5 percent.