Two separate polls in recent weeks have found that Virginians prefer Republican governor Glenn Youngkin over Democratic president Joe Biden by double digits.
According to a Roanoke College poll released last week, 57 percent of Virginians approve of Youngkin's job performance, compared with just 38 percent who approve of Biden's—a staggering near-20-point gap. A Mason-Dixon poll released last month found an 11-point gap, with Youngkin receiving 56 percent favorability compared with Biden's 45 percent.
In the Roanoke poll, Youngkin's favorability is at its highest point since the pollster first started asking the question last year. Only 35 percent of Virginia voters disapprove of Youngkin, Roanoke found, whereas a staggering 55 percent disapprove of Biden. Once again, Mason-Dixon found similar results, with only 31 percent disapproving of Youngkin but 52 percent disapproving of Biden.
The polls stand in stark contrast to how the media have presented Youngkin's popularity. The Washington Post, for example, last year trumpeted a single poll that found Youngkin's approval rating at the time was 2 points below his disapproval rating. The Post does not appear to have reported on the new polls.
The results are also a sharp pivot for Virginia, which in 2020 voted for Biden by 10 points.