Clinton leads Trump by 9 points in Virginia poll

A Virginia poll released on Wednesday finds Democrat Hillary Clinton with a substantial lead in the presidential contest.

The poll sponsored by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce also shows a majority of respondents believe Virginia’s economy is moving in the right direction but the national economy is not.

The Tarrance Group, based in Alexandria, conducted the survey Oct. 12-15 on the chamber’s behalf. The poll is based on telephone interviews with 500 likely voters in the commonwealth. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percent.

Respondents gave Clinton a 9 percentage point advantage over Republican Donald Trump, leading 47 percent to 38 percent. Three percent support libertarian Gary Johnson. Nine percent are undecided.

Fifty-three percent of the voters polled say Virginia’s economy is going in the right direction but only 39 percent believe the nation’s economy is on the right track.

Northern Virginia voters were the most optimistic about the state economy, with 63 percent saying it was headed in the right direction. That number dropped to 44 percent in the Roanoke area and 40 percent in Southwest Virginia.

Sixty-nine percent of respondents support Virginia’s Right to Work law, and 55 percent would vote to make the law a constitutional amendment.

Another 55 percent support construction of the controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline.

Forty-six percent of the voters support having the Redskins move their football stadium to
Virginia, but only 23 percent support offering the team tax incentives to make the move.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents support expanding trade, but only 37 percent support the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.