This week, Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin defeated his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, in Virginia's gubernatorial election. This election could signal a "red wave" in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 general election. A survey conducted on election night shows what issues were prioritized by Virginia voters that led to Youngkin prevailing as the winner.
One hot-button issue that's been at the forefront of several recent elections is the requirement of photo identification to be able to vote, with many Leftists claiming it's discriminatory. In a Rasmussen survey of 500 Virginia voters, 81 percent believe that photo identification should be required for voting. This statistic includes 94 percent of Youngkin voters and two-thirds, 66 percent, of McAuliffe voters.
In the findings, 57 percent of respondents said that they believe high school students should be required to use the restroom of their biological gender. One-third of respondents, 33 percent, disagree. The 57 percent of respondents who support high schoolers using the restroom of their biological gender includes 80 percent of Youngkin voters and 54 percent of McAuliffe voters.
Nearly half of respondents, 49 percent, believe that it is possible to support the policies of former President Trump without supporting Trump. Thirty-nine percent of respondents disagree. Broken down by political party, 71 percent of Youngkin voters believe this sentiment while 61 percent of McAuliffe voters disagree. This week, after McAuliffe's loss, Biden blamed the outcome on Trump voters who cast their ballot for Youngkin.
In the survey, 83 percent of Virginia voters agree that "America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress." This includes 84 percent of Youngkin voters and 82 percent of McAuliffe voters. Additionally, just over half, 53 percent of Virginia voters, believe their public schools are teaching students that America was founded on the ideals of freedom and equality. Twenty-nine percent believe that students are being taught that America was founded upon the ideas of racism and white supremacy.
Around one-fourth, 29 percent of respondents, said they believe the economy is getting better. Over half, 52 percent, said it's getting worse. Seventy-nine percent said they've experienced sharp price increases. Sixty-nine percent said they've experienced backorders, delays, or shortages of items they would like to buy.
The top issues for Youngkin voters were education, immigration, inflation, and the economy. The top issues for McAuliffe voters were the COVID-19 pandemic, education, inflation, and the economy. Out of 77 percent of respondents who were confident that votes would be counted accurately and the correct winner declared, this included 63 percent of Youngkin voters and 92 percent of McAuliffe voters.
The election night survey polled 500 Virginia voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.