Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe finishes his first year in office with a 49-25 percent job approval rating, according to new polling conducted by Quinnipiac University.
Voters approve 62-23 percent of the job U.S. Sen. Mark Warner is doing and give U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine a 53-28 percent job approval rating.
“Virginia is much like Iowa in voter affection for top officials. The difference in Iowa is that the governor and senators are all Republicans, while in Virginia they are all Democrats. That’s quite a turnaround from the days not that long ago when The Old Dominion was solidly red,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
By a strong 62-26 percent margin, voters are optimistic about the next three years with McAuliffe as governor.
The Quinnipiac polling was conducted as part of a Swing State Poll focusing on key states in the presidential election.
This round of polling included Virginia, Iowa and Colorado.
The final word from the poll numbers: optimism.
“An improving economy nationally seems to be helping the political climate even in the dead of a very cold winter. Incumbent governors are getting good grades from these electorates. Voters in Colorado, Iowa and Virginia are optimistic about the future,” Brown said.