Raleigh, N.C.-
PPP’s latest Virginia poll
finds Barack Obama with a 49% positive to 48% negative job approval rating in
the Commonwealth. Senator Mark Warner’s job performance gets positive ratings
by 53%-27%. Senator Tim Kaine enjoys a 44%-38% positive spread. Bob McDonnell
has 44% positive marks and negative ratings of 37%.

Virginians
have favorable opinions of Bill Bolling by a margin of 22%-20%. Eric Cantor
elicits unfavorable opinions from 40% of voters and favorable views from 26%.
Mark Warner leads Bolling 54%-33% in the former’s reelection race. Warner tops
Cantor by 53%-34%. Bob McDonnell trails Warner 39%-50%.

“Mark
Warner looks like a pretty safe bet for reelection,” said Dean Debnam,
President of Public Policy Polling. “No high profile Republicans have stepped
up to run against him and even if they did they would start out at a
considerable disadvantage.”

By a
margin of 80%-12%, Virginians do not think employers should be allowed to
discriminate against employees based on sexual orientation. Commonwealth voters
mirror the trend of strong bipartisan support for background checks. 77% favor
requiring background checks on all gun sales to 16% who oppose such a
requirement. Background checks garner the support of 93% of Democrats, 72% of
independents and 66% of Republicans.

In news
that will play well in Blacksburg, 30% of Virginia voters say they’re Virginia
Tech fans to 28% who back UVA. When asked to weigh in on another hot button
issue, Virginians stated by a margin of 41% to 17% that the word “g-i-f” should
be pronounced “gif,” not “jif.”

PPP surveyed 672 Virginia voters from May 24-26, 2013.
The margin of error was +/- 3.8%. This poll was not authorized or paid for by
any campaign or political organization. PPP’s surveys are conducted through
automated telephone interviews.

Topline results are below.  Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of President
Barack Obama’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 49%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 48%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 4%

Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Mark
Warner’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 53%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 27%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 19%

Q3 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Bob
McDonnell’s job performance
Approve …………………………………………………. 44%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 37%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 19%

Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Bill Bolling?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 22%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 20%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 58%

Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Eric Cantor?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 26%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 34%

Q6 If the candidates for Senate next year were
Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Bill
Bolling, who would you vote for?
Mark Warner …………………………………………… 54%
Bill Bolling ………………………………………………. 33%
Undecided………………………………………………. 14%

Q7 If the candidates for Senate next year were
Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Eric
Cantor, who would you vote for?
Mark Warner …………………………………………… 53%
Eric Cantor……………………………………………… 34%
Undecided………………………………………………. 13%

Q8 If the candidates for Senate next year were
Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Bob
McDonnell, who would you vote for?
Mark Warner …………………………………………… 50%
Bob McDonnell ……………………………………….. 39%
Undecided………………………………………………. 11%

Q9 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Tim
Kaine’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 44%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 18%

Q10 Do you think employers should be allowed to
discriminate against employees based on
sexual orientation, or not?
They should be able to……………………………… 12%
They should not ………………………………………. 80%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 8%

Q11 Would you support or oppose requiring
background checks for all gun sales, including
gun shows and the Internet?
Support ………………………………………………….. 77%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 16%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 6%

Q12 Do you consider yourself to be more a Virginia
or Virginia Tech fan?
Virginia…………………………………………………… 28%
Virginia Tech …………………………………………… 30%
Not a fan of either school ………………………….. 42%

Q13 Do you think the word spelled g-i-f should be
pronounced as ‘gif’ or ‘jif’?
‘Gif’………………………………………………………… 41%
‘Jif’…………………………………………………………. 17%
Undecided………………………………………………. 42%

Q14 Who did you vote for President in 2012?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 49%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 45%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 6%

Q15 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 12%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 17%
Moderate………………………………………………… 31%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 23%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 17%

Q16 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 54%
Man……………………………………………………….. 46%

Q17 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 34%
Republican……………………………………………… 33%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 33%

Q18 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 74%
African-American …………………………………….. 18%
Other……………………………………………………… 8%

Q19 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 10%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 18%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 50%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 22%