Democrat Ralph Northam maintains a six-point lead over Republican Ed Gillespie in the Virginia governor’s race about three months ahead of the November election, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.
Northam, Virginia’s lieutenant governor, received 44 percent of the vote to 38 for Gillespie, former head of the Republican National Committee, and 4 percent for Libertarian Cliff Hyra in the Quinnipiac survey released Wednesday.
The race is competitive in spite of President Donald Trump’s low approval rating in Virginia — the only Southern state the president did not carry.
While 61 percent of Virginia voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance, 36 percent approve, according to the survey.
“The Virginia governor’s race leans toward Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, but not overly so,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
“With three months until Election Day, the race remains competitive.”
Click to continue reading. Aug.9, 2017.