The race for governor is starting to take shape as new polling numbers show where things stand eight months out from Election Day.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger has a 15-point lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the race for governor of Virginia. That’s according to a new poll from Roanoke College. Harry Wilson is director of the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research, and he says it's important to remember that one out of three people in the survey say they are undecided.
"I would certainly prefer to be up by 15 than to be down by 15," Wilson says. "I think anyone would be. But this is early, early, early, early."
He says one of the most interesting aspects of the early poll is the wide disparity between how Republicans and Democrats view whether the country is headed in the right track or heading in the wrong direction.
"73% of Republicans said the country was going in the right direction. That must be a record for Republicans, a record high. 11% of Democrats say the country is going in the right direction," Wilson says. "That’s just almost unbelievable to me that difference."
The poll also asked for opinions about immigration. 59% of the people responding to the survey said they are in favor of increasing deportations of those who are here illegally.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
