VA-Gov: The June 13 gubernatorial primary is just two months away, and Quinnipiac gives us its latest look at how the contest is shaping up for both parties. On the Democratic side, the pollster finds former Rep. Tom Perriello pulling into a narrow 25-20 lead over Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. Although that’s an improvement for Perriello from their February poll where the two candidates were tied 19-19, the sky-high number of undecided voters still likely mean it’s anyone’s game.
For Team Red, Quinnipiac shows ex-RNC chair Ed Gillespie continuing to decisively lead with 28 percent, followed by Prince William County Board of Supervisors chair Corey Stewart with just 12 percent, and state Sen. Frank Wagner at 7 points. However, with such a large number of undecideds, this race isn’t yet settled, but Gillespie’s Republican opponents have limited time and money to chip into his lead.
The pollster gives Democrats good news as they look ahead to the general election, as both Northam and Perriello lead the Republican field by anywhere from 11 to 14 points, which was an uptick from their more modest leads from two months ago. However, with so many voters still not expressing an opinion about the candidates, and with seven months to go until the general election, the end result could easily end up a lot closer once the parties unite around their nominees.