Washington Poll poll: Clinton with solid lead in Virginia

A new Washington Post poll of Virginia voters gives Democrat Hillary Clinton a seven- to eleven-point lead on Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

Clinton had a 45-34 lead among registered voters on Trump in a four-way race including Libertarian Gary Johnson (11 percent) and Green Jill Stein (4 percent). The margin narrows to seven at the top of the race among likely voters (Clinton at 46 percent, Trump at 39, Johnson at 9 and Stein at 3).

In a two-candidate horse race, Clinton’s lead widens substantially among registered voters, to 14 points (52-38), and is at eight points among likely voters (51-43).

Trump’s weakness is Gary Johnson’s relative strength. Johnson is polling at 9 percent among Republican voters, with Trump at 77 percent there. Clinton, meanwhile, is at 89 percent among Democrats, with Johnson and Stein each getting 3 percent among Dems.

Johnson and Stein both have solid, relatively significant support among independent voters. Clinton is at 39 percent with independents, with Trump at 32 percent, Johnson at 16 and Stein at 7.

President Obama is above water in favorability among Virginia voters – with a 55-41 positive split among registered voters and a 51-46 split among likely voters.

Clinton’s favorability is at a 44-54 split among both registered voters and likely voters. Trump is at a 32-65 split among registered voters and 36-62 among likely voters.

Oddly, the Post pollsters asked voters their opinion of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Trump’s running mate, who is at 37-34 favorability among registered voters and 40-33 among likely voters, but didn’t then also ask favorability for Tim Kaine, Clinton’s running mate, and a U.S. senator from Virginia and former governor.

The poll did ask voters if Kaine’s presence on the ticket makes them more or less likely to vote for Hillary Clinton. The split there was 26-7 in favor of more likely, with 66 percent saying Kaine’s presence on the ticket makes no difference.

That question, when asked related to Pence, elicited a 15-10 split in favor of more likely, with 74 percent saying Pence makes no difference to them.