Poll: Clinton increases lead on Trump in Virginia post-debate

Democrat Hillary Clinton has a seven-point lead on Republican Donald Trump among Virginia voters, according to a new poll from Christopher Newport University.

Clinton is at 42 percent, with Trump at 35, in the poll conducted by the Wason Center for Public Policy. Libertarian Gary Johnson was at 12 percent, with Green Jill Stein at 1 percent.

A Sept. 26 Wason Center poll had Clinton at 39 percent, Trump at 33 percent, Johnson at 15 percent, and Stein at 3 percent.

“Hillary Clinton’s debate performance has improved her position in Virginia slightly,” said Dr. Quentin Kidd, Director of the Wason Center. “Most significant is perhaps her improved support among younger voters, a critical part of the Obama coalition.”

In the new survey, Millennial voters moved away from the Libertarian ticket and other third-party candidates and into Clinton’s camp. Among voters ages 18-34 Clinton has increased her support from 34 percent to 41 percent.

“Following what was by most accounts a difficult first debate for Donald Trump, our survey also finds significant shifts in support in another key voting group: independents,” said Dr. Rachel Bitecofer, Assistant Director of the Wason Center. “Although Trump had an 11-point lead among independents in our September survey, Clinton now leads that group by six points.”

Clinton’s striking jump from 21 percent to 34 percent among independents came partially from Trump, but even more at the expense of Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson. Johnson’s support among Independents dropped 11 points, from 31 percent in September to 20 percent in this survey.

More from the poll:

• Clinton leads among Democrats 88 percent to 2 percent. Trump has a 73 percent to 8 percent lead among Republicans. In the Sept. 26 CNU poll, Trump had a 78 percent to 3 percent lead among Republicans.
• Clinton leads in three of the four regions of the state: 50 percent to 27 percent in Northern Virginia, 41 percent to 35 percent in Richmond, and 40 percent to 34 percent in Hampton Roads. Trump leads in Southwest Virginia 46 percent to 31 percent.

The survey was conducted September 27-30 among 892 likely Virginia voters, with an overall margin of error of +/- 3.7 percent at the 95 percent level of confidence.