Given that the poll leans D+7 after a disastrous Democratic performance in Fairfax County where the special election candidate underperformed an assumed D+9 by seven points?
These are great numbers from the University of Mary Washington. From the poll:
The 5-point difference between the two major party candidates is within the margin of error for likely voters.
“The latest Mary Washington survey demonstrates that both candidates have a lot of work to do between now and November,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and director of its Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The large number of undecided voters at this stage demonstrates that either major party candidate can become the next governor of Virginia.”
Even Blue Virginia is sweating bullets. Other tidbits in the poll? Gillespie is up by 9 points among independents, and when the question “Who are your neighbors voting for?” is asked?
Gillespie is up by 7 points… which tells you that Gillespie is running downhill in a big way.
This sets up the upcoming debate on Tuesday in a serious way, with Northam having ducked just about every debate opportunity over the last three months in an effort to avoid the sharp contest of ideas Gillespie is sure to bring.
