SALEM, Va. – Roanoke College released their February 2026 poll on Feb. 23, marking their first poll following the November 2025 election in Virginia that saw Democrats retake all three statewide offices. The poll asked Virginians multiple questions regarding the approval of political figures and opinions on gun laws. Respondents were also asked about the upcoming special election regarding mid-decade redistricting.
800 people were interviewed between Feb. 9 and Feb. 16.
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Approval ratings of political figures
President Donald Trump’s approval rating and disapproval ratings have slightly increased since November, with 35% approval (up from 34%) and 61% disapproval, which is down 2% from November. 2% said they had mixed feelings, and 3% refused the question.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s approval was polled by the college for the first time since becoming governor in January. She is currently at 53% approval and 39% approval, which is almost identical to former Gov. Youngkin’s approval ratings polled by the college in November, when he sat at 54% approval and 38% disapproval.
Respondents were also asked if they believe the country and the commonwealth are going in the right or wrong direction. Participants seemed more optimistic about Virginia’s outlook than about the U.S., with 47% saying Virginia is moving in the right direction and only 31% saying so for the U.S. 51% said the commonwealth is on the wrong track, and 65% said the same for the country as a whole.
Mid-decade redistricting
Virginia is also set to hold a special election on April 21, with a ballot measure proposing mid-decade redistricting as a response to the ongoing redistricting battle across the U.S.
The college asked participants how they would vote if the special election were held today. As of February 2026, 44% of respondents said they would vote in favor of the redistricting amendment, and 52% said they would vote against it. Another 4% of respondents were unsure or refused the question.
“On the redistricting issue that seems to be headed to a referendum, Virginians generally prefer the current system. Still, given the partisan ramifications and the Democratic-inspired wording of the question ‘to restore fairness’ to elections, this may not be indicative of the outcome.”
Dr. Harry Wilson, interim director for IPOR and professor emeritus of political science at Roanoke College
You can find more on Virginia’s redistricting here.
Gun control laws
Respondents were also asked about gun control laws in the commonwealth, specifically what laws they approve of and disapprove of.
Virginians were first asked if they believe it is more important to protect the right to own guns or to control gun ownership. Responses were split nearly 50/50, with 49% saying it is more important to protect the right to own guns, and 48% saying gun control is more important. 3% were unsure or refused the question.
The college also asked participants what they believe is most responsible for mass shootings, with “poor policies to deal with mental illness” as the most popular answer at 52%. 30% of respondents blamed weak gun laws, and 29% blamed poor enforcement of laws. Please note that those polled could choose up to two answers.
Participants were also given a list of gun laws and asked whether they would approve or disapprove of any given law. When asked about bans on specific guns, such as semi-automatic and assault rifles, the majority of respondents approved. However, when asked about a ban on the sale of all guns, 80% opposed and only 19% responded in favor.
Gun licensing and registration also received broad support, with 67% favoring registration and 71% favoring licensing.
“Virginians clearly support a variety of gun control measures, but many question their efficacy. A majority supports bans on essentially any and all semi-automatic firearms. But many think current gun laws aren’t the cause of mass shootings, and less than half think that stricter laws will make them safer. There is also strong support for gun registration and owner licensing, regulations that are anathema to many Second Amendment supporters.”
Dr. Harry Wilson, interim director for IPOR and professor emeritus of political science at Roanoke College
The poll contained over 20 questions, so less significant topics were not covered here. If you’d like all the information, as well as the raw polling data, you can visit the Roanoke College website here.
Data was collected by the Siena Research Institute, powered by ReconMR at Siena University. Roanoke College said quotas were used to ensure that different regions of the commonwealth were proportionately represented. Weighting was done to match Virginia data in the 2024 one-year American Community Survey (ASC).
For more information on how polling works, click here.