Politco: Virginia voters — including African-Americans — get Northam's back
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam appears to have quelled any widespread public clamor for his resignation in the wake of his blackface scandal.
Two new polls out Wednesday show pluralities say the Democrat should not quit or be forced out over a racist photo that appeared on his medical-school yearbook page 35 years ago. Most African-American voters agree that he shouldn't go, according to one of the surveys.
In a Quinnipiac University poll, 42 percent of voters say Northam should resign — but more, 48 percent, say he shouldn't. White voters are split evenly — 46 percent say he should resign, and the same percentage say he shouldn't — but a majority of black voters, 56 percent, say Northam should not quit.
Even fewer Virginians say Northam should resign in a second poll out Wednesday, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for the University of Virginia Center for Politics. In that poll, which surveyed adults in the commonwealth, only 31 percent say Northam should resign, compared to 43 percent who say he shouldn't.
Both polls show scant support for impeaching Northam. In the Quinnipiac poll, only 26 percent say Northam should be impeached, while nearly two-in-three voters, 65 percent, say he shouldn't. In the Ipsos/U-Va. poll, just 21 percent say the General Assembly should remove Northam, while 56 percent say state legislators shouldn't impeach the governor.
QUP: February 20, 2019 - Almost Half Of Virginia Voters Say Gov Should Not Quit, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Split On Whether Fairfax Should Resign
With support from black voters, 48 percent of Virginia voters say Gov. Ralph Northam should not resign, as 42 percent say he should step down, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released today. By a much wider 65 - 26 percent, voters say Gov. Northam should not be impeached.
Voters are divided 36 - 36 percent on whether Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax should resign, but say 54 - 24 percent he should not be impeached, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds.
Attorney General Mark Herring should not resign, Virginia voters say 54 - 22 percent, and say 63 - 16 percent he should not be impeached.
Virginia voters give Gov. Northam a negative 39 - 44 percent approval rating, down from a positive 49 - 25 percent approval in a June 26, 2018 Quinnipiac University poll.
There is a wide racial gap as black voters approve 49 - 24 percent, while white voters disapprove 50 - 36 percent.
Black voters say 56 - 31 percent that Northam should not resign, with white voters split 46 - 46 percent.
Northam is not a racist, Virginia voters say 62 - 21 percent, with little difference between black and white voters. But voters disapprove 69 - 20 percent of the way he is handling the controversy involving him wearing blackface when he was in his 20s.
"The good news for Gov. Ralph Northam is that Virginia voters have mixed feelings about him - not terrible but hardly reassuring in the wake of the brouhaha over his alleged use of blackface when he was a medical student more than three decades ago" said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
"Perhaps working to Northam's benefit is that Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is viewed much, much more negatively as he faces sexual assault and rape allegations. And voters say by very strong margins they don't believe his denials," Brown added.
"Attorney General Mark Herring scores best among the three officials in hot water." Virginia voters give Northam a negative 36 - 45 percent favorability rating. They are divided on whether he is honest, as 41 percent say yes and 44 percent say no. Only 42 percent of voters are confident in Northam's ability to lead Virginia effectively, as 47 percent are not.
Northam is not the right person to work to heal racial divisions in Virginia, voters say 54 - 32 percent.
Prejudice against black people is a serious problem in Virginia, voters say 61 - 35 percent, but 60 percent of voters say Virginia has less racism against black people today than it did "a few decades ago."
Justin Fairfax
Only 12 percent of Virginia voters believe Lt. Gov. Fairfax's denial of accusations of sexual assault, while 37 percent believe his two accusers, with 51 percent undecided.
Voters say 84 - 12 percent that the Virginia House of Delegates should wait for an investigation of these accusations before considering impeachment of Fairfax.
Fairfax gets a negative 11 - 36 percent favorability rating.
Ipsos: Virginia Sentiment Toward its Government
