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| Virginians mostly welcome Democratic takeover, CNU survey finds | Virginians mostly welcome Democratic takeover, CNU survey finds |
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| RICHMOND — Virginia voters want stricter gun laws, nonpartisan redistricting, marijuana decriminalization, a minimum-wage increase and passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, but they oppose giving local governments control over Confederate monuments, according to a poll by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. | |
| Virginians seem ready for many of the changes Democrats are promising to usher in when the General Assembly reconvenes in January, and the party takes control of all levers of state government for the first time in a generation. Top among those changes is gun control, which some rural and suburban localities have vowed not to enforce, promising to declare themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries.” | |
| In Virginia, and elsewhere, gun supporters prepare to defy new laws | In Virginia, and elsewhere, gun supporters prepare to defy new laws |
| By large margins, voters statewide support requiring background checks on all gun sales (86 percent to 13 percent) and passing a “red flag” law to allow guns to be temporarily removed from someone deemed a threat (73 percent to 23 percent). By a smaller margin (54 percent to 44 percent), they back a ban on assault-style weapons. | By large margins, voters statewide support requiring background checks on all gun sales (86 percent to 13 percent) and passing a “red flag” law to allow guns to be temporarily removed from someone deemed a threat (73 percent to 23 percent). By a smaller margin (54 percent to 44 percent), they back a ban on assault-style weapons. |
| Voters strongly support passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (80 percent to 13 percent), which is meant to enshrine women’s equality in the U.S. Constitution. Passage would make Virginia the 38th — and theoretically last — state needed for ratification, although critics say the deadline passed long ago. | Voters strongly support passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (80 percent to 13 percent), which is meant to enshrine women’s equality in the U.S. Constitution. Passage would make Virginia the 38th — and theoretically last — state needed for ratification, although critics say the deadline passed long ago. |
| “This survey suggests there’s pent-up demand among voters for a lot of the Democrats’ policy agenda,” said Quentin Kidd, director of the Wason Center. | “This survey suggests there’s pent-up demand among voters for a lot of the Democrats’ policy agenda,” said Quentin Kidd, director of the Wason Center. |
| Voters line up with Democrats on several other issues, including decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana (83 percent support, 14 percent oppose) and raising the minimum wage (72 percent support, 28 percent oppose). | Voters line up with Democrats on several other issues, including decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana (83 percent support, 14 percent oppose) and raising the minimum wage (72 percent support, 28 percent oppose). |
| And they strongly support amending the state Constitution to take political mapmaking out of politicians’ hands and give it to a nonpartisan redistricting commission. Some Democrats who pushed for such a panel last year appear to be having second thoughts now that they are about to take the majority and could draw maps favorable to their party. | |
| ERA bill dies for good in GOP-controlled Virginia House of Delegates | |
| The poll revealed strong support for measures meant to make it easier to vote, another priority for Democrats. Voters support automatic voter registration (64 percent to 31 percent) and no-excuse absentee voting (74 percent to 23 percent). | |
| On the subject of Confederate monuments, a majority (51 percent to 44 percent) opposes giving localities the authority to remove or alter them. | On the subject of Confederate monuments, a majority (51 percent to 44 percent) opposes giving localities the authority to remove or alter them. |
| The poll finds that Gov. Ralph Northam (D) continues to recover from a scandal that erupted in February, when a racist photo surfaced from his 1984 medical school yearbook. But two Democrats interested in succeeding Northam when his term expires in January 2022 — Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring — have not bounced back as well from their own controversies. | The poll finds that Gov. Ralph Northam (D) continues to recover from a scandal that erupted in February, when a racist photo surfaced from his 1984 medical school yearbook. But two Democrats interested in succeeding Northam when his term expires in January 2022 — Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring — have not bounced back as well from their own controversies. |
| Voters in the Old Dominion, the only Southern state that Donald Trump lost in the 2016 presidential election, continue to take a dim view of the president, according to the survey. | Voters in the Old Dominion, the only Southern state that Donald Trump lost in the 2016 presidential election, continue to take a dim view of the president, according to the survey. |
| A majority (55 percent) disapprove of the job Trump is doing, while 42 percent approve. Those ratings are on par with what he earned in a Wason Center poll in April, but improved since October, at the height of an election campaign that many Virginia Democrats pitched as a referendum on Trump, when 61 percent disapproved of the president and 37 percent approved. | A majority (55 percent) disapprove of the job Trump is doing, while 42 percent approve. Those ratings are on par with what he earned in a Wason Center poll in April, but improved since October, at the height of an election campaign that many Virginia Democrats pitched as a referendum on Trump, when 61 percent disapproved of the president and 37 percent approved. |
| Views of the state’s direction remain slightly more positive than negative, with 48 percent saying that things in Virginia are moving in the right direction — down from 64 percent a year ago — and 41 percent saying they are moving in the wrong direction. | Views of the state’s direction remain slightly more positive than negative, with 48 percent saying that things in Virginia are moving in the right direction — down from 64 percent a year ago — and 41 percent saying they are moving in the wrong direction. |
| Just 29 percent of Virginians say the nation is heading in the right direction, while 55 percent say it is heading in the wrong direction. | Just 29 percent of Virginians say the nation is heading in the right direction, while 55 percent say it is heading in the wrong direction. |
| Northam’s rating — 52 percent approve, 36 percent disapprove — is up from April, when the scandal over the yearbook photo was still fresh. A Wason survey that month found 40 percent approved of his performance. | Northam’s rating — 52 percent approve, 36 percent disapprove — is up from April, when the scandal over the yearbook photo was still fresh. A Wason survey that month found 40 percent approved of his performance. |
| Northam initially apologized for the photo, which showed one person in blackface and another in a Klan hood. The next day, he said he was not in the photo but acknowledged putting shoe polish on his cheeks to imitate Michael Jackson in a dance contest in 1984. | Northam initially apologized for the photo, which showed one person in blackface and another in a Klan hood. The next day, he said he was not in the photo but acknowledged putting shoe polish on his cheeks to imitate Michael Jackson in a dance contest in 1984. |
| ‘This isn’t me’: Gov. Northam’s defiance caught advisers off guard | ‘This isn’t me’: Gov. Northam’s defiance caught advisers off guard |
| Fairfax and Herring were swept up in their own scandals days after Northam’s broke. | Fairfax and Herring were swept up in their own scandals days after Northam’s broke. |
| Herring, who called for Northam’s resignation, was forced to admit days later to wearing blackface for a rapper costume as a college freshman in 1980. Among voters, 36 percent approve of the job he is doing, while 27 percent disapprove. That’s down significantly from his rating a year ago (42 percent approved, 17 percent disapproved), but not significantly changed from April. | Herring, who called for Northam’s resignation, was forced to admit days later to wearing blackface for a rapper costume as a college freshman in 1980. Among voters, 36 percent approve of the job he is doing, while 27 percent disapprove. That’s down significantly from his rating a year ago (42 percent approved, 17 percent disapproved), but not significantly changed from April. |
| During that same week in February, two women accused Fairfax of sexually assaulting them in the early 2000s. One was a classmate at Duke University, and the other was a woman he had met at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Fairfax has insisted that both encounters were consensual. | During that same week in February, two women accused Fairfax of sexually assaulting them in the early 2000s. One was a classmate at Duke University, and the other was a woman he had met at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Fairfax has insisted that both encounters were consensual. |
| Voters were equally split (32 percent approve, 32 percent disapprove) on Fairfax. A year ago, 35 percent approved of the lieutenant governor’s performance, while 13 percent disapproved. His current rating is not significantly changed from April. | Voters were equally split (32 percent approve, 32 percent disapprove) on Fairfax. A year ago, 35 percent approved of the lieutenant governor’s performance, while 13 percent disapproved. His current rating is not significantly changed from April. |
| The poll was based on 901 interviews of registered Virginia voters, including 399 on landlines and 502 on cellphones, conducted Nov. 11 through Nov. 22. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. | The poll was based on 901 interviews of registered Virginia voters, including 399 on landlines and 502 on cellphones, conducted Nov. 11 through Nov. 22. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. |
| Correction: An earlier version of this article said that Virginia voters oppose no-excuse absentee voting (51 percent to 44 percent). The Wason Center later issued a correction, saying it had misread its polling data, which actually found that voters strongly support that policy (74 percent to 23 percent). | Correction: An earlier version of this article said that Virginia voters oppose no-excuse absentee voting (51 percent to 44 percent). The Wason Center later issued a correction, saying it had misread its polling data, which actually found that voters strongly support that policy (74 percent to 23 percent). |
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