The race for U.S. Senate in Virginia is contested. But it might not end up being all that competitive.
Incumbent Senator Tim Kaine has a double digit lead over his Republican opponent Corey Stewart in a new poll from the University of Mary Washington.
Stephen Farnsworth is director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the university, and he says the poll is largely a reflection of what voters think about President Trump. “This is a president who’s really dominating the narrative every news cycle, and that creates a very difficult environment for candidates to be heard in their own voice, be they Democrats or Republicans this year.”
Kaine is doing well in the population centers, especially along the Interstate 95 corridor or east of it. Stewart is doing well in Southwest Virginia. “He’s doing very well in places where there aren’t as many people,"Farnsworth notes. "That’s not a recipe for a statewide election victory.”
Click here to read the full poll results
Among all respondents, Kaine holds a 49 percent to 30 percent advantage. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percent.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
