RICHMOND, Va. — A new poll out from Virginia Commonwealth University shows Democratic candidate for governor Abigail Spanberger holding a seven-point lead, 49% to 42%, over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs said Tuesday.
This is the first VCU poll out since the Jay Jones text messages were leaked, which dominated coverage of the campaign over several news cycles, and was brought up by Earle-Sears several times during her debate with Spanberger on Oct. 8.
Jones, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, reportedly sent text messages to a colleague several years ago where he suggested that former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a Republican, and his family should be shot.
watch related: Jay Jones regrets violent hypothetical text messages
The poll also shows incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares taking the lead over Jones, 45% to 42%, according to the Wilder poll.
The poll also shows a very close race for lieutenant governor, with Democrat Ghazala Hashmi up one point over Republican John Reid.
“Our School’s poll results reflect no change in the race for Governor, though the lead for Democrats has narrowed," L. Douglas Wilder said. "These results highlight that, with several weeks to go before the election, the voters are paying attention to what the candidates are doing—and have done—as a precursor to what they will do if elected.”
The full research behind the VCU Wilder School poll can be found here.
