Poll: McAuliffe Leads Cuccinelli By 5 Points in VA Governor Race

Likely Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe leads likely Republican opponent Ken Cuccinelli 46 to 41 percent among registered voters in a Public Policy Polling survey of the Virginia gubernatorial race.

To be sure, 50 percent of voters say they don’t even have an opinion of former national Democratic Party Chairman McAuliffe, while only 27 percent are unsure how they feel about state Attorney General Cuccinelli.

A total of 25 percent of voters have a favorable view of McAuliffe, and 26 percent have an unfavorable view. Meanwhile 29 percent have a favorable view of Cuccinelli, and 45 percent have an unfavorable view.

When it comes to GOP Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who is making noise about running as an independent, 29 percent of voters view him favorably, 16 percent unfavorably, and 56 percent aren’t sure.

When the race includes McAuliffe, Cuccinelli, and Bolling, McAuliffe scores 40 percent support, Cuccinelli 32 percent, and Bolling 15 percent.

“Ken Cuccinelli’s unpopularity is really the story of the race at this point,” Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, said in a statement. “Even to a decent number of Republicans he is an unacceptable candidate, and that could give Bill Bolling an opening to run a viable independent campaign.”

The poll’s margin of error is 4 percentage points.