L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public AffairsResearch and Outreach

Multiple times a year, our statewide Wilder School Commonwealth Poll provides policymakers with an up-to-date snapshot of public opinion on current policy issues in the commonwealth. On this page you'll find information about recent poll highlights, as well as poll data organized by topic and by date.

Our school’s poll results reflect little change in the race for governor, though the lead for Democrats has narrowed (Spanberger 49% to Earle-Sears 42%). The race for lieutenant governor shows John Reid within one percentage point of Ghazala Hashmi (Hashmi 44% to Reid 43%). The attorney general’s race shows Jason Miyares moving into the lead over Jay Jones (Miyares 45% to Jones 42%). These results highlight that, with several weeks to go before the election, voters are paying attention to what the candidates are doing—and what they have done—as a precursor to what they will do if elected.

Governor L. Douglas Wilder
66th Governor of Virginia


We are proud to have the Wilder School’s Commonwealth Poll selected as a Presidential Election Poll by CNN Politics for the first time in VCU’s history. Selection as a CNN-approved poll solidifies the Commonwealth Poll among the top polling operations in the nation while elevating the voice of Virginians.

 

 

 

Methodology

Our most recent poll was conducted from October 6 to 14, 2025, with results released in October 2025. The methodology is as follows:

  • 842 adult Virginians surveyed
  • Phone survey (Landlines/Cell) – dual sample design on listed landline numbers and random digit dialed (RDD) cell phone numbers
  • Sample weighted by demographics: gender, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, and region
  • Overall margin of error: +/- 3.95 percentage points

References

For more information about the results, questions, and data, visit the links below:

For a comprehensive list of past poll questions, visit our Poll Guidebook.