Today, Daily Kos announced key findings from a statewide survey of Virginians commissioned through Civiqs. The poll of 868 registered voters was conducted online from Feb. 5-8 and reveals a strong preference that Gov. Ralph Northam resign (60 percent)—including among Democrats (58 percent) and independents (52 percent). An even stronger 64 percent of black voters think Northam should resign, and 56 percent of respondents who voted for him in 2017 now say he needs to go. Additionally, even in light of the controversies surrounding the Democratic governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, Virginians still favor Democratic candidates (46 percent) to Republicans (38 percent) in this fall’s legislative elections.
“Daily Kos commissioned this important poll to shine a light on Virginians’ real position on Northam in the wake of revelations about his racist actions and his irresponsibility in confronting them,” said Carolyn Fiddler, communications director for Daily Kos. “The best antidote to hot takes about Northam’s viability as governor is hard data. The results of this Civiqs survey reveal key insights into how registered voters from each party and key demographic groups view Northam’s refusal to leave the governor’s mansion. Fortunately, Democrats have a strong 46-38 generic ballot lead at this point, but Northam’s continued refusal to heed the clear will of voters still has plenty of time to undermine Democratic candidates in November.”
“Virginia has a strong preference that Northam resign the governorship,” said Civiqs director and chief scientist Drew Linzer. “A solid majority of Virginians, including Democrats, think he needs to resign. An even greater proportion of black voters want him gone—a crucial and underquantified part of the current narrative in the commonwealth.”
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Civiqs is a survey research firm that conducts scientific public opinion polls on the internet through its nationally representative online survey panel. Founded in 2013, Civiqs specializes in political and public policy polling. Results of Civiqs’ daily tracking polls can be found online at civiqs.com/results.