52% of Virginians approve of the way Governor Glenn Youngkin is doing his job.
That’s according to a poll that was conducted by the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College. 686 adults throughout the Commonwealth were surveyed about their political opinions between Nov. 12 and Nov. 20, 2023.
The poll also found that 63% of Virginians said they at least somewhat closely followed the General Assembly elections that were held earlier this month. However, only 32% said those elections will make a difference in getting things done in Richmond.
Senior Political Analyst Bryan Parsons with the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research said those results were something that surprised him.
“It was surprising to me is a bit of a disconnect there between sort of the interest in the elections but maybe some skepticism that the results would matter in a meaningful way for policy or legislation,” said Parsons.
Virginians say the economy, jobs, or inflation are among the top issues in the state.
“About 42% of our poll said the economy, jobs, and inflation — one of those three things was the most important issue,” said Parsons. “So there are economic issues of various kinds. So, that wasn’t super surprising.”
Nationally, 37% approve of President Joe Biden and how he is handling his job.
Trump is the first choice among the state’s Republicans with 51%. The second-choice candidate for the Republican nomination is DeSantis with 26%.
However, when asked about a hypothetical 2024 presidential matchup between Trump and Biden, Biden leads by about four points at 48% to 44%.
Parsons said polls like this are important for the state.
“We think it’s really important for Virginians to know what their fellow Virginians, their neighbors’ folks in their community and in the Commonwealth think about some of the most important issues of the day,” said Parsons. “It’s an important part of being a citizen in a democracy.”
You can find the full poll results on Roanoke College’s website.