New Poll: McAuliffe Continues to Beat Cuccinelli

While I hope Democrats and rational, thinking Virginians don't get complacent and fail to get out and vote, a new poll shows Terry McAuliffe still leading Ken Cuccinelli.  Given the extremism of the GOP slate, candidly, it's disturbing that the Democrat leads are not even larger.  With the November election just a month away, one can only hope that those who have not been paying attention - and I've been shocked by how uninformed some people seem to be - and realize that the GOP slate needs to be sent to an ignominious defeat.  Here are some findings via the Washington Post:

The new statewide poll of likely voters — an inaugural effort by Hampton University’s Center for Public Policy — found that McAuliffe has 42 percent support compared with 37 percent for Cuccinelli, largely because of McAuliffe’s sizable backing from women and African-American voters.

Robert Sarvis, a Libertarian, received 8 percent.

The poll showed McAuliffe with big leads in Washington’s suburbs, such as Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties, while Cuccinelli is ahead in the Northern Virginia exurbs of Loudoun, Fauquier and Spotsylvania counties. In Washington’s suburbs, McAuliffe received 50 percent compared with Cuccinelli’s 29 percent; Cuccinelli led McAuliffe 45 percent to 33 percent in the exurbs.

The poll also found a 15-point gender gap that has helped give McAuliffe an edge. Among women, McAuliffe received 47 percent support, compared with Cuccinelli’s 32 percent.
Like others, the survey found that Virginians have a low view of the two major-party candidates. Thirty-one percent had a favorable view of McAuliffe, while 37 percent had an unfavorable view of him. For Cuccinelli, about 33 percent gave him a favorable rating, while 47 percent had an unfavorable view. Each candidate received overall positive ratings in only one of seven regions in the Commonwealth: for McAuliffe, it was the Southeast — for Cuccinelli, the Southwest. 

In the lieutenant governor’s race, the poll found that GOP nominee E.W. Jackson and Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) are in a statistical dead heat because neither are yet well known to voters. Jackson received 39 percent support, compared to Northam’s 38 percent. Twenty-three percent are undecided. The poll found that heavy majorities still say they do not know enough about the two men to form a favorable or unfavorable opinion of them.

In the attorney general’s race, the survey found that Sen. Mark D. Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) has taken a 4-point edge over Sen. Mark R. Herring (D-Loudoun), with 41 percent compared to 37 percent. Twenty-three percent are undecided.

Much more needs to be done to educate voters on Northam and Herring.  Next week, on October 12, 2013, from 3:00 PM to 5:00PM, the boyfriend and I are hosting an event in our home for Herring.  Local readers interested in attending can register here: https://secure.actblue.com/page/10.12.13, by emailing megan@herringforag.com, or by calling 703.928.5770.