Politics

Poll Shows Tie Ahead Of Va. Gubernatorial Election

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Alex Pfeiffer White House Correspondent
Font Size:

Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates are in a statistical tie ahead of Tuesday’s election, according to a poll released Monday.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam is ahead with 47 percent, while 45 percent of likely voters back former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie. The Monmouth University poll has a margin of error of 3.7 percent.

The race Tuesday has taken a national focus as it could show whether President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings are damaging in swing states such as Virginia. Forty-three percent of voters said Trump is a factor in who they are deciding to vote for, while 56 percent said Trump will not have an effect on their vote.

Trump endorsed Gillespie, however, the president never appeared in Virginia to campaign alongside the Republican candidate.

The Monmouth poll showed that 63 percent of Virginia voters think the race has a negative mood. In late September, just 30 percent described the gubernatorial race as negative.

There have been a series of aggressive attack ads with Gillespie tying Northam to MS 13 gang violence, while a liberal group depicted a Gillespie supporter as stalking brown children in a pick up truck. (RELATED: Gillespie Family Left ‘Disgusted’ By Truck Ad, Campaign Donations ‘Triple’ [VIDEO])