Majority Of Virginia Republican Voters Say Biden Did Not Win The Election Legitimately.
A new poll conducted by the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University shows that 61% of Republican voters surveyed in Virginia believe Joe Biden did not legitimately win the presidential election, while another 11% said they were not sure.
“This is the new Lost Cause in Virginia politics,” said Wason Center Academic Director Quentin Kidd in a statement.
Sixty-eight percent of Virginia voters say Biden won the election fairly; 26% say he did not. But the partisan gaps are clear: while 100% of Democrats said he was the rightful victor, only 27% of Republicans said the same. Two-thirds of independent voters said they believe Biden won legitimately.
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The gaps in Virginia mirror national trends. A recent nationwide poll by the AP found that two-thirds of Republicans across the country believe Biden did not win the presidential contest fairly.
Some Republicans in the Virginia legislature have also questioned the legitimacy of Biden’s win. State Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield), censured by her colleagues for calling rioters at the U.S. Capitol “patriots,” said she believed the election was stolen. In December, she echoed calls that Trump declare martial law to rerun the election in certain states. Republican Del. Dave LaRock (R-Loudoun) and newly elected Fifth District Virginia Congressman Bob Good similarly cast doubts on the election’s results.
Republicans’ belief that the presidential election was rigged could have lasting political effects, says Kidd. It’s “bound to stir up the contest for the Republican nomination for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general,” he says in a statement.
Six Republicans and five Democrats have filed to run for Virginia governor, and their profound political differences speak to the divide between voters in the state. On the far left is Democratic candidate Lee Carter, a self-identified socialist; on the other is Chase, who has referred to herself as “Trump in heels.”
Asked to compare Republican Donald Trump to former presidents, a majority of Virginia voters surveyed — 54% — said Trump is “definitely worse than most.” Fifteen percent said he’s “one of the very best,” with 78% of Republican voters saying he’s “better than most” or “one of the very best.”
The gap isn’t unexpected given the deep partisan divide in Virginia. Biden took 54% of the vote in the November election, buoyed by support in Northern Virginia, Richmond and the Hampton Roads area, which are more densely populated and racially diverse than the rest of the state. Trump dominated in southern and southwestern districts, capturing more than 70% of the vote in 27 counties and Poquoson City, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Source: DCILT
