A majority of Virginians want to see the state constitution amended to guarantee abortion rights, a poll by Christopher Newport University finds.
Sixty-two percent support the proposed amendment that the Virginia General Assembly is considering.
An analysis by the university finds the support for abortion rights comes more strongly from Democrats, women, and Black voters.
“Democrats support/strongly support the amendment at 90 percent while 67 percent of Republicans oppose/strongly oppose it. Sixty-eight percent of women indicate support compared to 56 percent of men, while Black Virginians support the measure 76 percent compared to 59 percent for whites,” the analysis said.
On another proposed state constitutional amendment, 66 percent either support or strongly support letting felons who have done their prison time get their voting rights restored. The poll finds a racial gap on the issue. Sixty percent of white people support it, compared to 89 percent of Black people.
Governor’s Race
In 2025, Virginia elects a new governor. Forty percent of those polled don’t know who they would support in a Democratic primary. But Rep. Abigail Spanberger is leading Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, 52 percent to 8 percent, among Democrats. On Stoney’s favorability rating among Democrats, 82 percent didn’t have any opinion or didn’t know, while Spanberger’s favorability rating was 43 percent.
Minimum Wage
Sixty-eight percent like the idea of raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026. A year ago, the minimum wage went up to $12 a hour. A state Senate committee advanced a bill that calls for an increase to $13.50 a hour in 2025 and to $15 a hour in 2026. A similar bill is in the House.
The poll finds Democrats and independent voters favor the increase with 95 percent and 64 percent supporting or strongly supporting it, respectively, compared to 39 percent of Republicans.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week indicated he does not think an increase is needed, but he stopped short of saying he would veto it.
Guns
Eighty-one percent of Virginians support having criminal penalties for gun owners if their firearms are taken by minors and used to commit crimes, and 87 percent back the idea of having owners lock up their guns and ammunition if the household has children.
Fifty-sixty percent support banning assault-style weapons. The same percentage opposes the idea of teachers carrying guns in schools.
Support for expanding where concealed weapons can be carried had 51 percent support.
The poll has a margin of error is 3.7 percent. Its results are based on 1,000 interviews by phone between January 11 and January 17 by trained interviewers.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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