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Poll: Virginia Democrats Prefer Rep. Bobby Scott to Replace Kaine

Hillary Clinton maintains a large lead in the state

Virginia Rep. Robert C. Scott has held his 3rd District House seat since 1993. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Virginia Rep. Robert C. Scott has held his 3rd District House seat since 1993. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Virginia Democrats prefer Rep. Robert C. Scott to take over the Senate seat of Tim Kaine if Democrat Hillary Clinton wins the White House and takes her running mate Kaine with her. 

The Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy/Christopher Newport University poll released Tuesday found that 27 percent of Old Dominion Democrats want to see Gov. Terry McAuliffe appoint Scott to the seat until a special election in 2017. 

Nine percent picked Democratic Rep. Don Beyer Jr. and 26 percent were undecided, the poll found.

“Congressman Scott is really buoyed by his high name recognition and robust support in Richmond and in Hampton Roads,” Dr. Rachel Bitecofer, assistant director of the Wason Center, said in a polling memo. 

[Virginia’s Democratic Governor Would Appoint Kaine Replacement]

In the presidential race, Democrat Hillary Clinton has a strong lead in the state over Republican rival Donald Trump, 48 percent to 38 percent in a two-way race.

When Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Evan McMullin are included, Clinton’s lead drops to 6 points — 39 percent to 33 percent over Trump, with Johnson taking 15 percent and Stein and McMullin 3 percent each.

The poll showed voters found the Democratic nominee more qualified to be president than the New York real estate mogul on temperament, experience, and issues such as military and foreign policy.

Fifty-eight percent of voters said Clinton has the right temperament to be president, compared to 28 percent for Trump. 

Twice as many voters said Clinton has the right experience, 60 percent to 26 percent over Trump. 

Trump, however, was found to be more trustworthy and honest than Clinton by a close margin, 35 percent to 32 percent. 

“Despite poor marks for honesty, Virginia voters are clear that Hillary Clinton is far more qualified to be president than is Donald Trump,” said Dr. Quentin Kidd, the center’s director.

The poll interviewed 1,003 likely Virginia voters, including 527 on landline and 476 on cell phone, from Sept. 15 to Sept. 23. The margin of error was 3.9 percentage points. 

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