A recent poll conducted by Emerson College Polling has revealed that Republican Governor Jim Justice is likely to outperform Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) in a potential 2024 Senate race in West Virginia.
The survey results suggest that Justice would secure a 41-28 victory over Manchin.
However, the poll also indicates that if Manchin were to face off against Representative Alex Mooney (R-WV), the former would likely triumph, with an estimated 37 percent of the vote compared to Mooney's 31 percent.
While the hypothetical result of 41-28 puts Justice significantly ahead of Manchin, it's worth noting that 16 percent of voters remain undecided. Additionally, 15 percent of those polled expressed their intention to support a different candidate.
Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, attributes the contrasting levels of support for Justice and Mooney to the influence of swing voters. "Independents are breaking for Justice, 43% to 18%," Kimball stated. "However, in the matchup with Mooney, independents are split 32% to 32%."
The poll also gauged approval ratings for various political figures. Governor Justice enjoys a 40 percent approval rating among West Virginians, with 26 percent disapproving and 34 percent remaining neutral. In contrast, President Joe Biden's approval rating in the state stands at a mere 19 percent, with a significant 71 percent disapproving and only 10 percent of voters remaining neutral.
Among Republican voters, approximately 50 percent approve of Justice's performance as governor, compared to 34 percent of Democrats and 35 percent of independent voters.
The survey also explored voter sentiment regarding the 2024 presidential election. In a hypothetical matchup between former President Donald Trump and President Biden, Trump leads with 59 percent to Biden's 23 percent. Thirteen percent of voters indicated they would vote for another candidate, while 5 percent remain undecided.
Interestingly, 51 percent of West Virginia voters believe that Biden's 2020 election victory was illegitimate, while only 25 percent believe it was a legitimate win. It's worth noting that Trump did not lose a single county in West Virginia during the 2020 election.
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