Virginians grow concerned about cost of living in recent VCU poll

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginians say the economy and cost of living was their top issue in a new poll that was conducted by the L. Douglas Wilder School of the Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. The latest Commonwealth Poll was conducted from Dec. 18 to Jan. 15 and included a wide range of topics regarding Gov. Glenn Youngkin's current administration. Youngkin's current approval rating Of those polled, 51% of Virginians said that they approved of Youngkin as governor, while 38% said they disapprove. Economy and cost of living Fifty-nine percent of those polled said they believe the cost of living is the number one issue, which is a 20% increase from last year. Crime and public safety Nationally, crime rates are going down, however, several cities are still seeing a rise in violence. Of the people polled, 49% said they were familiar with Youngkin's handling of public safety. Higher Education Only 2% of respondents said that they were concerned about higher education, and of those who responded, over half said they were familiar with Youngkin's handling of the issue. K-12 Education Sixty percent of respondents said that they were familiar with Youngkin's handling on K-12 education, which continues to be an issue as learning loss has been a consistent problem since the 2020 pandemic. Immigration While immigration was the focus in the 2024 presidential race, in Virginia, it was only the fourth most selected topic. Of those who responded, 89% said they were familiar with Youngkin's handling of the issue. Candidates for the 2025 Governor's race As for the candidates in this year's gubernatorial race, Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger has a 10% lead over Lt. Gov. Winsome Earl-Sears -- with 44% approval compared to Sears' 34%.