NORFOLK, Va. — A new poll found that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has strong support among Virginians, but many Democratic proposals have widespread support across the state, as well.
The poll was released on Tuesday by the Wason Center, which is based out of Christopher Newport University in Newport News and known for survey research and nonpartisan analysis of politics in the Commonwealth.
The poll results are based on 1,000 interviews of Virginia registered voters between Jan. 11 and 17. It has a margin of error of 3.7%.
The results come two weeks after the start of the 2024 Virginia General Assembly session, which saw Democrats take full control of the legislature halfway through Youngkin's time in office. Here's a look at what the poll found.
Youngkin approval at 50% as plurality of Virginians are optimistic about state's direction
The poll found that Youngkin's approval rating is at 50%, while 39% of Virginians disapprove of him and 12% don't know.
The Wason Center said Youngkin's approval is largely along party lines: 85% of Republican voters said they approve of his job performance, while 65% of Democrats disapprove. About 48% of independents approve, according to the poll.
About 43% of Virginians indicated that the state is headed in the right direction, while 37% said it is headed in the wrong direction. According to the Wason Center, these results have remained consistent over the last four years of polling.
Most Virginians support constitutional amendments to protect abortion rights, restore felons rights
When asked about a Democratic-proposed state constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion rights, 62% of Virginians said they support it, while 31% oppose it and 7% don't know if they would support or oppose it.
Sixty-six percent of Virginians said they would support a state constitutional amendment to allow felons who completed their prison sentence to have their voting rights automatically restored upon release.
RELATED: Virginia Senate Democrats kill GOP voting bills, postpone work on constitutional amendments
Minimum wage increase popular, car tax unpopular
About 68% of Virginians indicated support for raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026, while 30% of those polled opposed it.
The poll also found that the personal property taxes on vehicles, better known as the "car tax," has bipartisan unpopularity. Sixty-seven percent of Virginians support repealing the tax, including 85% of Republicans, 66% of Independents and 56% of Democrats.
When it comes to cutting taxes for corporations and individuals, 50% of Virginians support doing that. But the number drops to 44% support when asked about tax cuts if there were a recession in 2024 that reduces state revenues. Support dropped to 29% if cutting taxes meant the government would have to cut funding for services.
Most Virginians support legalizing retail marijuana sales, some additional gun restrictions
Fifty-seven percent of Virginians support allowing the retail sale of recreational marijuana, with strong 70% Democratic support and a split 46 to 49% support from Republicans. Fifty-four percent of independents support the proposals.
When it comes to gun restrictions, 81% of Virginians support establishing criminal penalties for gun owners if their firearms are taken by minors and used to commit a crime. And 87% support a requirement for gun owners to lock up their firearms and ammunition if there are children in the home.
Fifty-one percent of Virginians support allowing people to carry concealed guns in more places, 56% support banning assault-style weapons, and 56% oppose allowing teachers to carry guns in K-12 schools.
Education, crime, and health care top priorities for Virginians
When asked to indicate their level of priority for a series of policy issues, 74% of Virginians prioritized K-12 education, 62% said reducing crime and 59% said reducing health care costs.
Along party lines, Republicans' top three priorities are reducing crime, K-12 education and improving the state's economy. On the Democratic side, reducing gun violence, K-12 education and increasing affordable housing access were the top priorities.
Majority of Virginians disapprove of President Biden, pessimistic about country's direction
When asked about the direction of the country, only 20% said it is headed in the right direction, while 71% said it is headed in the wrong direction.
The poll indicated 36% of Virginians approve of President Joe Biden, while 59% disapprove.
Spanberger leads Stoney in 2025 Democratic primary, but many are unfamiliar with them
On the poll's question of which candidate people would vote for if the 2025 Democratic gubernatorial primary were held today, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger leads Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney 52% to 8%. But 40% of those polled indicated they didn't know which candidate they would support.
How the poll was conducted
The poll results are based on 1,000 interviews of Virginia registered voters between Jan. 11 and 17. It has a margin of error of 3.7%.