The swing state of Virginia could be hotly contested in 2016, depending on who the Republican nominee is.
Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump 45 percent to 32 percent in a poll released by Roanoke College on Tuesday, but remains in a virtual tie with other GOP candidates. Against Jeb Bush, Clinton slid ahead by one point, 42-41 and is up by the same margin over Marco Rubio, 41-40. When paired against Scott Walker, Clinton leads by four points, 42-38.
In September 2014, Clinton led other Republican candidates by much larger margins, with a 47-37 lead over Chris Christie, a 51-35 lead over Rand Paul and a 50-37 lead against Paul Ryan.
Barack Obama beat GOP nominee Mitt Romney 50.8 percent to 47.8 percent in Virginia in 2012.
“Clinton’s lead over potential Republican opponents appears to have shrunk, although the comparisons are not perfect,” director of the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research, Harry Wilson, said. “Of course, it is still very early, but no one likes to lose momentum. While she appears to be replicating the Obama winning coalition among blacks and women, she is not creating an age gap.”
Additionally, residents of that state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy were split on the Confederate flag. Forty-two percent said it was mostly a symbol of Southern pride while 31 percent thought it was a racist symbol.
