NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — With just a little more than a week until Election Day, a new poll from CNU's Wason Center for Public Policy shows voters prefer the Democratic candidate in four key races that could decide who controls the Virginia Senate.
The poll, released Monday morning, also shows candidates who support President Trump are at a disadvantage with voters, while those who support his impeachment are favored.
Pollsters focused on four Senate districts judged to be competitive: Senate District 7 (Virginia Beach/Norfolk), District 10 (Chesterfield/Richmond), District 12 (Henrico/Hanover), and District 13 (Loudoun/Prince William).
The poll was a collective look at voters in these districts, and were not head-to-head matchups in each contest.
Among likely voters, Democrats lead Republicans by 14 points on the generic ballot, 51% to 37%. Likely voters prefer that Democrats control the Assembly after the election, 51% to 38%.
While all 40 Senate seats and 100 House of Delegates seats are on the ballot -- and will determine which party controls the General Assembly -- there are no statewide candidates this year, which means voter turnout is expected to be low. In off-year elections like this, turnout can be especially important and in this case, the poll shows an "enthusiasm gap" between Democrats and Republicans.
The poll shows 63% of Democratic voters were enthusiastic about voting, compared to 49% of Republicans. Among likely voters, Democrats lead Republicans by 14 points on the generic ballot, 51% to 37%. Likely voters prefer that Democrats control the Assembly after the election, 51% to 38%.
The Wason Center conducted 849 interviews of registered voters, including 582 likely voters, October 1-20. The survey’s margin of error for the full sample is +/- 3.8%, but higher for sub-samples.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2019.