Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) Virginia’s current governor, Terry McAuliffe, contends his Lt. Governor, Ralph Northam, will win this November’s race thanks to Virginians’ satisfaction with the direction of the state.
“People are happy with the direction of the state,” McAuliffe told reporters Wednesday. “I’m now down to a three-seven unemployment rate.”
A poll from Monmouth University released Monday found Northam tied with Republican Ed Gillespie, 44 percent to 44 percent. The poll also found 52 percent of Virginians approve of the job McAuliffe has done. President Trump’s approval rating was pegged at 37 percent.
“It’s always going to be tight,” McAuliffe said. “Polls, in an off-year, it’s very hard to track these types of things.”
But McAuliffe said he isn’t giving much credence to that poll or any others.
“I’ve always said don’t pay attention to the polls,” he said. “The Washington Post had Tom Perriello up two right before the election. Tom won by 12.”
The poll also found 51 percent of Virginians think the Commonwealth is headed in the right direction.
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: WMAL file)
