Newsmax/Zogby Poll: Libertarian Hurting Cuccinelli in Va. Gov. Race

 

A Newsmax/Zogby Poll shows that with one week to go before Virginians elect a new governor, Democrat Terry McAuliffe is leading Republican Ken Cuccinelli by a margin of 35.5 percent to 30.4 percent, with Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis gathering enough support to tip the balance.

Although McAuliffe's campaign spending advantage and the scandals surrounding outgoing Republican Gov. Robert McDonnell are the most oft-cited reasons for Cuccinelli's underdog status, Zogby's polling shows that Sarvis is hurting the state attorney general's chances.

In figures released Tuesday, Zogby found that among likely Virginia voters, attorney and high-tech entrepreneur Sarvis drew 9 percent of the vote for the Nov. 5 contest, with 6.8 percent preferring another candidate, and 18.3 percent undecided — an unusually high number of voters who haven't made up their minds at this late date, veteran pollster John Zogby told Newsmax.

When the "undecided" voters were removed from the survey, Zogby found that McAuliffe, former Democratic national chairman, led Cuccinelli by 43 percent to 37 percent and Sarvis drew 11 percent, while 8 percent selected another candidate.

"Republicans do have cause to be worried and yes, Sarvis is hurting Cuccinelli more than McAuliffe," Zogby told Newsmax shortly after the release of his survey. "What is especially important is that, among voters who are aged 18 to 29, Sarvis draws 24 percent — one in four voters."

More @ Newsmax