A statewide survey from the University of Mary Washington reveals a tie between Virginia‘s leading candidates for governor in 2025.
Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, are tied at 39 percent, according to the survey from UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies.
The remainder of the 1,000 adult respondents to the survey were undecided, planned not to vote or would rather support a different candidate than Earle-Sears or Spanberger.
Research America Inc. conducted the poll between Sept, 3-9.
The poll also revealed that Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, is a possible candidate to run for nomination and who would be equally competitive. Forty percent of survey respondents supported Spanberger and 39 percent supported Miyares for Virginia‘s next governor.
Virginia attorneys general often run for re-election of the Commonwealth or for governor, but Miyares has not announced his plans for 2025. Virginia limits governors to one term in office, so Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, is prohibited from running for re-election in 2025.
“Virginia elections are often close, and the look ahead to next year suggests more of the same in the campaign for governor,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science at UMW and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the Commonwealth.”
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Rebecca Barnabi
