Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., holds a sizable lead over conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham and former GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina in hypothetical contests for Kaine’s seat in 2018, according to a new poll.
According to a new Quinnipiac poll released Friday, Kaine leads by at least 20 points over both potential challengers. The 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee leads with 56 percent support to Ingraham’s 36 percent, and leads Fiorina 57-36.
While Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly back their party’s candidate in each matchup, Kaine holds a key advantage with independent voters, and takes 54 and 55 percent against Ingraham and Fiorina, respectively. Both potential GOP candidates take only 32 percent of the independent vote.
Virginia voters also approve of Kaine’s job and view him favorably. Virginians approve of his job by a 57-37 margin, while 58 percent look at him favorably to only 34 percent unfavorably. On the Republican side, many Virginia voters don’t know enough about Ingraham (50 percent) and Fiorina (31 percent) to form an opinion of them. Ingraham holds a 27-22 favorable rating, while Fiorina is viewed negatively by 36 percent compared to 32 percent who have a favorable view.
Neither Ingraham nor Fiorina have announced a formal campaign against the Democratic incumbent, but both have been open about the possibility of launching a campaign.
Virginia is likely to be an uphill fight for Republicans who are looking to take down Kaine. The University of Virginia’s Larry Sabato rates the race as “Likely Democratic,” and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton beat President Trump 49-44 in November.
Trump also is also under water among Virginia voters, holding a 38 percent approval rating and a 56 percent disapproval rating, including a 37-57 margin among independents.