A recent poll showed the race between Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe for Virginia’s governor is within the margin of error.
According to the Trafalgar Group poll, the race, which will be held in early November, is virtually tied with McAuliffe leading Youngkin by only 1.8 points.
McAuliffe maintained 46.8 points, while Youngkin followed closely at 45 points. A small number, four percent, of voters may decide the race — as they have yet to decide who to support in the contest.
Most recently, Youngkin released an ad that attacked McAuliffe for being “dishonest.” The ad ties the Democrat to former President Donald J. Trump, who once supported McAuliffe with a $25,000 campaign donation, as McAuliffe seeks to distance himself from Trump.
Further, the ad includes McAuliffe bragging about how long he has known Trump, and Trump praising McAuliffe at a 2017 governor’s dinner.
Many supporters of Youngkin argue that his relationship with Trump is yet another example of hypocrisy from McAuliffe.
Even former Democratic Governor L. Douglas Wilder has criticized McAuliffe. “To ask people to follow you is what leaders do; reasons for that request are expected. Terry McAuliffe is asking the people of VA to elect him to be their leader. But when the people ask questions of him, he declines to comment,” he said.
To ask people to follow you is what leaders do; reasons for that request are expected. Terry McAuliffe is asking the people of VA to elect him to be their leader. But when the people ask questions of him, he declines to comment. https://t.co/7wJEEnO2JH pic.twitter.com/KVfGULzKsw
— L. Douglas Wilder (@GovernorWilder) July 13, 2021
As the end of the race continues to approach, attacks between the candidates have intensified.
The Trafalgar Group has, historically, been one of the most accurate polling organizations in the entire country. In 2016, the group was named the best polling firm of the presidential race. Further, this year Real Clear Politics called them “the most accurate pollster of the cycle among those firms that polled multiple Senate and governor races.”
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Martin Kraft. CC BY-SA 3.0.
