Virginia Republicans give Trump an edge, but only DeSantis and Youngkin lead Biden
David Freddoso
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A new poll from Roanoke College shows Ron DeSantis easily defeating President Joe Biden in Virginia, a state where Republicans have recently just given up in presidential races.
DeSantis leads Biden among registered Virginia voters by five percentage points, 48% to 43%. Trump, on the other hand, trails Biden 47% to 46%.
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The idea that a Republican presidential candidate could be competitive in Virginia is definitely revolutionary. And it’s worth mentioning that this isn’t just a five-point lead — this is a five-point lead over an incumbent president whose support for reelection is all the way down at 43%. These numbers should have Biden’s staffers panicking.
Biden’s approval rating in Virginia is 38%, with 56% disapproving.
Despite Biden’s low approval, Trump still trails him. This is because Trump’s favorable rating in Virginia is even worse than Biden’s at 33%, with 58% unfavorable.
Here’s the problem: even if DeSantis is the better general election candidate, Virginia Republicans are still going with Trump. The same poll from Roanoke shows Trump leading the field with 39% of the vote, with DeSantis in second place at 28%. It’s not a huge lead, but it’s a substantial one.
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Another interesting thing about this poll is that even though only 27% of Virginians think the country is headed in the right direction, 55% think that Virginia is headed in the right direction. That speaks well to the popularity of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). Although Youngkin barely registers in the presidential contest with 5% (he is the top second choice for Republicans with 25%), his favorability rating in his home state is a net-positive 17 points (52% to 35%). That’s the best rating of his governorship so far and perhaps portends a post-gubernatorial future — perhaps the vice presidency or the next Senate seat to open up in the commonwealth.
For the record, as unlikely as the matchup might seem at this point, Youngkin is trouncing Biden in Virginia, 55% to 39%. It’s a pity Nikki Haley and others weren’t pitted against Biden, but everyone they polled does better than Trump against Biden.