VA: Voters Lean Democratic for Midterms, Approve of Gov. Youngkin- R: CNU, Chris. Newport Univ.

- Christopher Newport Univ. Poll: Virginia voters lean Democratic for midterms, approve of Youngkin,' Washington Post, Oct.12, 2022. - Ed.

RICHMOND — Half of Va. voters gave good marks to Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) in a poll from the Wason Center at CNU, with 50% approving & 40% disapproving. But Va. voters were divided on what issues matter most to them heading into next month’s midterm congressional elections, with Dem. candidates holding a slight edge over Repubs. on a generic ballot. 46% of registered voters said they plan to vote for the Democratic candidate in their district, & 40% planned to vote for the Republican.

That Dem. edge comes despite Pres. Biden getting low approval ratings in the poll — 39% approved of the job he’s doing, 56% disapproved — suggesting that this year’s election might not follow a predictable path. Usually, midterms go poorly for the party in power in the White House, particularly when the national economy is struggling. - A guide to the 2022 Va. general election: In the CNU poll, 31% of Va.voters identified the economy & inflation as their top issue facing the country, the most of any topic.

But there was a stark partisan divide: 53% of voters who are Repub. said their top issues were economic while 14% of Democrats felt that way.

Among Va. voters who are Dems., the top issues include climate change (17%), racial inequality (16% ), abortion (15%), the economy & inflation (14%) & gun violence (12%). Independent voters’ most important issue is the economy & inflation at 31%, followed by climate change at 8%.The race “is clearly not just about the economy,” Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, research director of the Wason Ctr said Wed. to reporters. In a written analysis, the Ctr added: “It’s fair to say Republicans & Democrats aren’t just disagreeing on policy; increasingly they aren’t even having the same conversation.”

Va. is key in the 2022 national midterm elections, with some races having the potential to help determine which party will control Congress.

The race between Rep. E. Luria (D) & state Sen. J. A. Kiggans (R-Va. Bch) is one of the most competitive in the US, & Va.’s 7th Dist. race between Rep. A. Spanberger (D) & Prince Wm. Board of Co. Superv. member Y. Vega (R) is competitive as well — & very expensive. More than $20M on ads has been spent so far. Rs are also hopeful in Va.'s 10th Dist. after Youngkin made significant gains there last year — but Rep. J. Wexton (D) is still favored. Rs have been energized by Biden’s low approval rating, the economy, & made inflation a primary focus. Ds have hammered on abortion after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, & spent millions on attack ads accusing Rs of wanting to ban abortion nationally.

The CNU poll delivered mixed results on the issue of abortion. Overall, as they have for years, Va. voters favored protecting abortion rights, with 67% saying abortion should be legal in most or all cases, compared with 27% opposing...

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