
The poll conducted by Public Policy Polling over the weekend has McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chair, at 21 percent, with Moran, a former state delegate from Northern Virginia, at 19 percent. Deeds, a Bath County state senator, was at 14 percent in the poll, which surveyed 647 likely Democratic Party primary voters and has a margin of error of +- 3.9 percent.
Public Policy Polling’s January survey had McAuliffe and Moran at 18 percent apiece and Deeds at 11 percent.
Scanning through the crosstabs, McAuliffe holds a slight edge over his opponents in favorability – at 31 percent for McAuliffe to 30 percent for Moran and 26 percent for Deeds. McAuliffe also has the highest amount of unfavorable opinion among voters – at 26 percent, to 14 percent for Moran and 10 percent for Deeds.
Perhaps the biggest news in the survey is that undecided still holds the overwhelming lead – with 46 percent of likely primary voters yet to make up their minds.
Seventy-three percent of primary voters are undecided in the race for the lieutenant governor nomination, with Jody Wagner holding a slight lead in the crowded five-candidate Democratic Party field. Wagner, a former Secretary of Finance, was at 9 percent in the poll. Virginia Beach School Board member Pat Edmonson was at 6 percent, with former Mark Warner aide Mike Signer at 5 percent, Richmond-based political consultant Rich Savage at 4 percent and Southwest Virginia energy magnate Jon Bowerbank at 3 percent.
– Story by Chris Graham