NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Christopher Newport University's 2026 State of the Commonwealth Poll was released on Wednesday, providing insight into Virginians thoughts on a range of issues being currently considered by the General Assembly.
This poll was conducted by CNU's Wason Center for Civic Leadership. This survey is based on interviews with 807 registered Virginia voters, according to CNU. It was conducted from Jan. 13 to 20. The following information is sourced from this recent study:
Is Virginia heading in the right direction?
- Right — 46%
- Mixed — 10%
- Wrong — 35%
Is the country heading in the right direction?
- Right — 28%
- Mixed — 6%
- Wrong — 65%
Watch related: Spanberger delivers first legislative address
Outlook on Gov. Abigail Spanberger's term:
- Optimistic — 60%
- Mixed — 3%
- Pessimistic — 33%
Issues with a high level of support:
- Amendment to protect reproductive rights
- Support/strongly support — 66%
Watch: How would legal weed impact Virginia?
-
Marijuana reclassification: How could it impact Virginia?
- Retail marijuana sale
- Support — 60%
- Limits on data centers
- Support prohibiting data centers from being located near a national park, state park, or historically significant site — 69%
- Support requiring a site assessment, looking into the impact on water usage, emissions, and agriculture — 86%
- $15 an hour minimum wage by 2028
- Support/strongly support — 78%
- Requiring Virginia employers to provide some type of paid sick leave
- Support/strongly support — 80%
- Provision of up to 12 weeks of paid family & medical leave
- Support/strongly support — 84%
- Felon re-enfranchisement after completed prison sentence
- Support/strongly support — 64%
Issues with a slight majority/plurality of support:
- Eliminating 1% local option sales tax and replacing it with state funds
- Support — 55%
- Making gun laws stricter
- Support — 50%
- Keep restrictions as is — 39%
- Should be less strict — 8%
- Virginia's current redistricting process
- Support — 63%
- Don't support — 27%
- Don't know — 9%
- Temporary change to allow redistricting mid-cycle
- Support — 51%
- Don't support — 43%
- Don't know — 7%
