Crime second only to economy as issue in Virginia race

What do voters consider the most important issues in the Virginia gubernatorial race? As usual, the economy ranks #1. Right behind it, though, is crime. So finds a CBS/YouGov poll of likely Virginia voters.

The pollsters asked voters to rate the importance of seven issues. Here are the results in order of importance (the percentages are of those who consider the issue a major factor in the governor’s race):

Economy: 71 percent
Crime: 67 percent
Vaccine mandate: 66 percent
Teaching re history and race: 62 percent
Taxes: 60 percent
Abortion: 58 percent
Mask policy: 54 percent

Here are the splits for various demographics on whether crime is a major factor in the race or a minor one (the small residual number reflects the percentage of people who consider it unimportant).

Age 45 and over: 70-25
Women: 71-25
Blacks: 76-21
Liberals: 48-40
Moderates: 67-29
Democrats: 59-33
Independents: 62-29
Biden voters in 2020: 53-37

I infer that non-Black Biden voters and non-black liberals don’t consider crime a major issue in the gubernatorial race. All other groups do, if the poll accurately reflects public opinion.

The same poll finds Terry McAuliffe leading Glenn Youngkin 50-47. However, the results relating to crime are good news for Youngkin.

So is the number of voters who think the way history and race relations are taught is important, although I gather from the racial breakdown on this issue that the group that considers the issue a major one includes a significant cohort that favors indoctrinating students in Critical Race Theory.

I suspect that crime is considered a major issue throughout most of America. Even in the ultra-liberal Maryland neighborhood where I live, folks are starting to worry about crime. Auto thefts and break-ins within a few blocks of where one lives can have that effect.

I figure the issue of crime, which we’ve been highlighting for years on Power Line, will become even more important to voters as long as the current crime wave continues. And it seems destined to persist until the electorate’s view that this is a major issue translates into policies that address the problem — and I’m not talking about hiring “violence interrupters.”

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