Virginia appears to have found its favorite governor.
In a new Roanoke College survey, Glenn Youngkin’s (R) approval has soared to 57%, up 5 points since November and giving him his highest rating since taking office a little over a year ago.
The poll from the school’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research also said his disapproval among residents is down 6 points to a low 35%.
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“These numbers mark Youngkin’s highest approval rating and lowest unfavorable rating recorded by the Roanoke College Poll during his time in office,” said the analysis.
His approval is apparently driven by good feelings commonwealth residents have about the economy and the direction of the state, a drastic difference from how they feel about the direction of the country under President Joe Biden and of Biden himself.
“When respondents were asked about whether things in the commonwealth are going in the right direction or have gotten off on the wrong track, there has been an 8-point increase to 55% who think things are going in the right direction and 9-point decrease to 39% who think things have gotten off on the wrong track,” the survey analysis said.
2024 Virginia Presidential Election
(R) Ron DeSantis: 48% (+5)
(D) Joe Biden: 43%
.
(R) Glenn Youngkin: 55% (+16)
(D) Joe Biden: 39%
.
(D) Joe Biden: 47% (+1)
(R) Donald Trump: 46%⦿ Roanoke College | 585 RV | Feb 12-21
⦿ MOE: ±4.23% | Sample: D+5https://t.co/qpAQ59hF2H pic.twitter.com/n6hamiOlrg— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) March 2, 2023
“At the national level, 27% think things are going in the right direction in the country and 69% think things have gotten off on the wrong track,” it added.
That has helped Youngkin’s standing in the commonwealth should he act on rumors of running in the GOP presidential primaries.
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Of all the Republicans put in a 2024 election head-to-head challenge with Biden by the poll, Youngkin and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) would win. The survey said Youngkin would beat Biden 54% to 39%. That is a bigger margin of victory than DeSantis, 47%-44%. Former President Donald Trump would lose 47%-45%.
But as much as those polled would choose the favorite son in 2024, they want to keep him in Richmond working for them.
“While Youngkin has not yet announced a run for president, we found that 34% of Virginians think he should run for president and 54% think he should not. Among Republicans, 42% think he should seek the Republican nomination for president, which is down 10 points from November,” the survey analysis added.
