According to the latest Emerson College Polling data, Governor Jim Justice is in the lead with 41% of the potential vote, while Senator Manchin trails with 28%. Notably, 16% of respondents remain undecided, and an additional 15% expressed their support for alternative candidates.
The Executive Director of Emerson College Polling, Spencer Kimball, pointed out that the divergence in voter preferences between Justice and Manchin is particularly pronounced among independent voters. For example, 43% of independents favor Justice, compared to 18% for Manchin. However, in a potential matchup against Representative Alex Mooney, both candidates receive equal support from independent voters, each with 32%.
Governor Justice enjoys a 40% approval rating among West Virginians, with 26% expressing disapproval and 34% adopting a neutral stance. In contrast, President Joe Biden holds a meager approval rating of just 19% in the state, with 71% disapproving and a mere 10% remaining neutral.
The cross-party appeal of Governor Justice is evident, with approximately 50% of Republican voters approving of his job performance, along with 34% of Democrats and 35% of independent voters.
The survey also delved into the 2024 presidential election, revealing that former President Donald Trump maintains a substantial lead over President Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head contest. Trump commands 59% of the vote compared to Biden’s 23%, with 13% of respondents favoring alternative candidates and 5% remaining undecided.
Furthermore, a majority of West Virginia voters, constituting 51%, believe that President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election was achieved through fraudulent means, while only 25% consider it a legitimate win.
Notably, during the 2020 election, former President Trump did not lose a single county in West Virginia, underscoring his enduring popularity in the state.