Summary
Early voting has started in Virginia, where Democratic candidates are leading in polls for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general races. These elections are seen as an important signal for upcoming midterm elections in the United States.
Key Facts
- Democratic candidates are leading their Republican opponents in recent polls for three Virginia statewide races.
- Former Representative Abigail Spanberger is running for governor against Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.
- State Senator Ghazala Hashmi is the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, running against Republican John Reid.
- Former Democratic legislator Jay Jones is challenging incumbent Republican Jason Miyares for attorney general.
- A poll from Christopher Newport University's Wason Center shows Spanberger leading Earle-Sears by 12 points, Hashmi leading Reid by 11 points, and Jones leading Miyares by 7 points.
- The poll, conducted from September 8 to September 14, 2025, surveyed 808 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
- Virginia has shifted towards the Democratic side over the past decade, though it elected Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2021.
- Former Republican Representatives Barbara Comstock and Denver Riggleman have endorsed Spanberger's campaign.
