One of the last statewide polls before Election Day has been released – and it shows the Jay Jones texting scandal is having an impact on the attorney general race.
The survey from Christopher Newport University shows Republican incumbent Jason Miyares now leads Democrat Jay Jones by one percentage point.
Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo – Research Director of the school’s Wason Center – says Jones had a six-point advantage in their previous polling earlier this month.
In this recent poll, her group asked respondents if they’ve heard about the texting scandal and if it would influence their vote. Bromley-Trujillo says there is a significant impact for those who said yes to those two questions...
“56% are saying it will make them less likely to vote for him," she says. "And then 39% are saying it will have no change in whether or not they will vote for him.”
That figure could be the deciding factor with a week to go before Election Day – as eight percent are undecided in the attorney general race and Jones has lost a large chunk of support among independent voters according to the polling.
The other statewide races are tightening, as well.
“In the governor’s race, Spanberger has a seven-point lead over Earle-Sears – 50% to 43%," Bromley-Trujillo says. "This is down from a previous 10-point lead by Spanberger in our early October poll.”
Democrat Ghazala Hashmi leads Republican John Reid by two points in the lieutenant governor contest.
