The 2025 election to replace Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is still two years away — but a new poll shows Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger has an early lead among Democratic voters.
According to a new poll from The Wason Center at Christopher Newport University, if the primary were held today, 52% of surveyed Democratic voters would choose Spanberger over the other Democrat in the race so far, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney. Only 8% of respondents said they would vote for Stoney and 40% said they were unsure.
Spanberger also has more name recognition. Stoney has a 10% favorability rating among voters, while a vast majority, 82%, said they have no opinion or don’t know how they view the candidate. Meanwhile, 43% of voters say they view Spanberger favorably, while 53% said they have no opinion or don’t know.
Spanberger, a former CIA officer, has served in Congress since 2019. Stoney, mayor of Virginia’s capital city since 2017, was a senior aide to former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
Voters, including Republicans and independents, were also asked about the top issues they want the General Assembly and the governor to address.
The most pressing concern for Republicans is reducing crime, (76%) while Democrats are most concerned with reducing gun violence (81%). Democrats, Republicans and independents all list improving K-12 education as one of their top three issues.
There are vast differences when it comes to banning assault weapons and a possible constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion rights.
According to the survey, 90% of Democrats support or strongly support the abortion rights amendment, while 67% of Republicans oppose it. In addition, 90% of Democrats also support banning assault-style weapons, while 75% percent of Republicans oppose it.
However, there is unified support for establishing criminal penalties for gun owners if their firearms are used by a minor to commit a crime. Overall, 81% of voters, including 76% of Republicans, support the proposal.
The poll was conducted between Jan. 11 and Jan. 17 of 2024. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7%.
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