A new Quinnipiac University poll of Virginia voters has President Barack Obama at his highest approval in the Old Dominion ever.
Virginians surveyed approve of the job that Obama is doing by a 59 percent to 38 percent split. His previous high-water mark was a 52 percent to 44 percent grade in January 2013, at the beginning of his second four-year term.
The partisan split in the approval numbers is predictable. Democrats approve 97 percent to 1 percent, with independents at 58 percent to 37 percent in favor of approval, and Republicans not approving by an 84 percent to 14 percent margin.
“There may be no political figure in the history of Virginia who is more responsible for the state’s political transition from solid Republican to a swing state with a Democratic lean in presidential elections than President Barack Obama,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. “He leaves office with strongly positive approval ratings. President Obama not only carried the state twice fairly comfortably, but also leaves office with a model for future Democratic White House nominees on how to carry the state.
Trump: Room for improvement
The approval rating for President-elect Donald Trump in Virginia, meanwhile, is under water. Thirty-nine percent of Virginia voters approve of Trump, with 53 percent not approving.
In spite of Trump’s personal unpopularity, voters are optimistic about the next four years, at a 55 percent to 40 percent clip.
Warner, Kaine get solid plus ratings
Virginia voters approve 62-22 percent of the job U.S. Sen. Mark Warner is doing. Warner gets a split 42-42 percent approval rating from Republicans.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine gets a 58 – 32 percent job approval rating.
More from the poll: Visit www.poll.qu.edu or www.facebook.com/quinnipiacpoll.
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Chris Graham
