Overview
- The Washington Post–Schar School survey, released Monday, found 47% of Virginia voters approve of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s job performance and 46% disapprove, based on 1,101 registered voters with a ±3.4-point margin of error.
- Her standing is weaker than that of each of the past eight Virginia governors at a similar point, and she is the only one in that span to face disapproval topping 40% this early.
- The poll shows a stark split by party, with more than 80% of Democrats approving, close to 90% of Republicans disapproving, and independents nearly even at 45% approve to 46% disapprove, with Republicans expressing stronger intensity of opposition.
- Affordability and immigration loom large for voters, as 41% say her agenda would make Virginia less affordable and 31% say more, while critics point to her move to curb state cooperation with federal immigration authorities and to support for a mid-decade map rewrite.
- An April 21 referendum could recast the state’s U.S. House map from 6 Democrats and 5 Republicans to roughly 10 Democrats and 1 Republican, and the poll shows likely voters backing the change 52% to 47%, with analysts calling her early slump unusual after a 15-point election win.