Virginia Poll: Harris Leads Trump by 3 Points

(Dreamstime)

Vice President Kamala Harris holds a 3-point lead over former President Donald Trump in Virginia, according to a new Roanoke College poll.

The poll, released Tuesday, shows Harris leading Trump 47% to 44% among likely voters in a head-to-head race. When independent candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are factored in, Harris maintains her 3-point lead.

In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Tim Kaine, D-Va., leads challenger Hung Cao, 49% to 38%.

A previous Roanoke College poll in May found Biden and Trump tied in Virginia. Only 2% of likely voters said they were undecided.

Nearly 4 in 5 (79%) likely voters are very certain of their vote choice, while 18% are somewhat certain.

More than half (60%) are very enthusiastic about voting and 25% are somewhat enthusiastic. The economy dominates among the most important issues, being cited by 48% of respondents. Abortion (16%) and immigration (15%) were chosen more frequently than foreign affairs (6%) and crime (4%). Two-thirds (68%) of likely voters plan to vote on Election Day, while 31% say they will vote earlier.

A majority (51%) say Trump is a threat to democracy. Slightly fewer (47%) see the Democratic party process of replacing Biden with Harris as such a threat.

Both running mates polled underwater in Virginia, as 44% are either dissatisfied or angry with the choice of Tim Walz (30% dissatisfied; 14% angry), and J.D. Vance fares even worse (32% dissatisfied; 18% angry).

The Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College interviewed 691 likely voters in Virginia from Aug. 12-16. The survey has a weighted margin of error of 4.5%.