Wyn Delano
WMAL.com
RICHMOND (WMAL) — Democrat Ralph Northam currently holds a 6-point lead over Republican Ed Gillespie in the campaign to be Virginia’s next governor, according to a new Wason Center survey of likely Virginia voters.
Northam is the choice of 47% of voters surveyed, while Gillespie is the choice of 41%.
Libertarian Cliff Hyra polls at 4%, with 8% undecided.
The poll found that Northam holds significant, double-digit leads in the heavily populated enclaves of Northern Virginia and holds an edge among female voters as well as those under 45.
Gillespie holds an advantage among male voters and an 8-point lead in the Richmond – Central Virginia area.
He is also performing well in the more rural areas of southern and southwest Virginia.
Both candidates are splitting independents 38% apiece and have strong support from their party’s respective bases.
According to the survey, Republican voters say cutting taxes is a high priority, while Democratic voters say expanding Medicaid and addressing tidal flooding and sea level rise are high priorities.
However, Improving the quality of K-12 education clearly tops the list of issues all voters want the next governor to focus on according to the poll.
The survey of 776 likely voters has a margin of error of +/- 3.7%. See the full survey report here.
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