Levar Stoney for Governor Campaign “Internal” Poll Finds Initial 44%-11% Lead for Abigail Spanberger Shrinks to 34%-30% (“a near dead heat”) After Positive Info Provided About Both Candidates

See below for some brand-new “internal” poll results by the Levar Stoney for Governor campaign. Highlights of the poll, “conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) among 734 likely Democratic Primary voters,” include:

• According to Stoney’s campaign memo, the PPP poll “mirrors what public polls have shown, namely that [Abigail] Spanberger has an advantage in the initial trial heat because of the high name recognition (59%) she has achieved from running highly expensive campaigns since 2018 in both the Richmond and DC media markets,” including “$25 million spent on TV.” In contrast, the Stoney campaign argues that “Mayor Stoney is known mostly only in Richmond and has a 26% statewide name ID.” So, the Stoney campaign concludes, “not surprisingly, the initial trial heat starts with Spanberger holding a 44%-11% advantage, with 45% undecided.”
• The poll finds that, after positive information about each candidate is provided to voters, Spanberger’s lead falls to 34%-30%, with 36% undecided – “a near dead heat,” as the Stoney campaign puts it.

Of course, as the Stoney campaign correctly points out, the primary “is over 14 months away, an eternity in campaigns.” I’d add that a LOT can and will happen between now and then – including the presidential election, which will determine whether or not we still have a democracy – and that at this point, people are definitely not focused on 2025. We’ll see what happens once campaigns really get going in early 2025.