Trafalgar Poll shows Va Governor’s race tightening

According to a  story on WJLA TV in Arlington, a new poll from the Trafalgar Group shows Democrat Abigail Spanberger holding a narrow lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the Virginia governor’s race. Spanberger leads by 2.6 percentage points — 47.7% to 45.1% — among likely voters, a margin that falls within the poll’s 2.9% margin of error.

The Trafalgar Group, which accurately predicted Virginia’s gubernatorial results four years ago, surveyed more than 1,000 likely voters last week. About 5.5% of respondents said they remain undecided in the governor’s race.

In other statewide contests, Democratic Sen. Ghazala Hashmi leads Republican John Reid 46.8% to 45.9% in the lieutenant governor’s race. For attorney general, Republican incumbent Jason Miyares holds a 48.9% to 43.1% advantage over Democrat Jay Jones.

Trafalgar Chief Pollster Robert Cahaly said one factor keeping the governor’s race tight is controversy over violent text messages linked to Spanberger’s running mate. “Sixty percent of people said it was having a significant to some impact,” Cahaly told 7News.

The messages have also sparked friction among law enforcement groups, with one organization publicly criticizing another for endorsing Spanberger.