New Virginia poll shows voters don’t trust Republicans on abortion

Just weeks before Virginians go to the polls to elect the next General Assembly, Data for Progress has released new polling in the state’s most competitive legislative districts that illustrates voters’ lack of trust in Republicans on the issue of reproductive rights.

The Nov. 7 General Assembly elections are the first state-level races in the commonwealth since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating federal protections for abortion rights.

The poll found that most voters (63%) regard a candidate’s position on abortion of “high importance” in deciding who to cast their ballot for. Additionally, most voters (56%) do not trust Republican candidates on the issue of abortion.

Almost two-thirds of voters agree that “politicians should not interfere in a patient’s personal reproductive healthcare decisions.”

Gov. Glenn Youngkin and many GOP candidates for the Virginia House and Senate have endorsed abortion bans, and Youngkin has said that he will “happily and gleefully” sign any abortion ban Republicans pass. Youngkin reportedly plans to make enacting a ban on abortion a legislative priority if Republicans win legislative majorities in the General Assembly in November.

The 16 polled districts span the state from Hampton Roads to the Richmond suburbs and northern Virginia. The survey was conducted from Sept. 16-27, 2023 and polled 2,033 likely voters.