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Poll shows many Virginia voters at odds with Gov. Youngkin on high-profile issues

From masks in schools to Critical Race Theory, poll finds a wide gap between many voters and Gov. Youngkin's policy proposals

VIRGINIA, USA — A new statewide survey shows a majority of Virginia voters either disapprove of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's performance in office or don't know one way or the other. The survey was conducted by the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University.

According to the poll, 43% of voters say they disapprove of Gov. Youngkin's performance. Another 41% approve of the job he's done so far. And 16% say they don't know.

Differences are largely along partisan lines, with most Republicans approving of the governor's performance, and most Democrats disapproving. Independents are fairly evenly split.

“In this highly polarized environment, we see partisans running to their corners on how they view the direction of the Commonwealth and the job of the governor,” said Quentin Kidd, Academic Director of the Wason Center. “Youngkin’s approval numbers are certainly lower than those of recent governors in Wason Center polling early in their term.”

On the issue of masks in public schools, 56% of Virginia voters say school mask requirements should be determined by health data and information from health experts. Only 41% say the decision should be left to parents.

Last week, Gov. Youngkin signed a bill passed by the General Assembly that makes masks optional in all public schools.

On the issue of teaching about racism in public schools, 63% of voters support teaching "how racism continues to impact American society." The poll finds that 33% oppose such teaching.

RELATED: Gov. Youngkin's 'divisive practices' tipline draws strong reactions

According to the survey, 57% oppose a government ban on teaching Critical Race Theory in public schools. The poll shows 35% support a ban. Critical Race Theory is an academic framework for studying systemic racism. It currently is not part of the curriculum in Virginia's K-12 public schools.

RELATED: Gov. Youngkin meets with northern Virginia families, discusses removal of school mask mandates

Gov. Youngkin has proposed repealing the state’s 2.5% grocery tax. On this issue, he has wide support. The survey shows 47% of Virginia voters support a full repeal. Another 25% support granting a tax credit for low-income residents to offset the grocery tax. Only 24% say the grocery tax should remain as is.

The Wason Center poll is based on interviews with 701 registered voters across Virginia. It was conducted from Jan. 26 through Feb. 15. The margin of error for the survey is +/-4.2%.

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