Democrat Terry
McAuliffe has opened a double-digit lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli II in
the race for Virginia governor,
in a new poll capturing increasing dissatisfaction among voters with
Cuccinelli’s party and his conservative views.
According to a new
Washington Post/Abt SRBI poll, McAuliffe tops Cuccinelli 51 percent
to 39 percent among likely voters in the Nov. 5 election. McAuliffe led by
eight percentage points in a poll taken last month. Libertarian Robert Sarvis,
who has capitalized on voter unrest with the two major-party candidates, is at
8 percent, according to the new poll.
The margin between
the two major-party candidates is driven by a huge gender gap. Among men, the
two candidates are running even, with Cuccinelli at 45 percent and McAuliffe at
44 percent. But among women, Cuccinelli trails by 24 points — 58 percent to 34 percent.
McAuliffe’s
substantial lead puts him in a position to break a long pattern in Virginia
gubernatorial races. In the nine most recent elections, the party holding the
White House has lost the governor’s race. Cuccinelli’s weaknesses, more than
McAuliffe’s strengths, put that streak in jeopardy, according to one question
in the poll.
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