Trump, Sanders, Justice Showing Leads in Recent Poll

A recent poll shows Donald Trump has a commanding lead in the republican primary and Bernie Sanders is edging out Hillary Clinton in the democratic race in West Virginia. Democrat Jim Justice is showing a lead in the primary and general election race for West Virginia governor.

According to a Tuesday news release from Public Policy Polling, billionaire Trump leads the state with 61 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz has 22 percent and Ohio Governor John Kasich is trailing with 14 percent.

“It’s hard to find better Trump territory than West Virginia,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling, in the release. “He’s by far and away the strongest candidate both among Republican voters and among the general electorate. It will be hard to find many places where he has an overall positive favorability rating but West Virginia is one of them.”

Sanders is favored with 45 percent over Clinton’s 37 percent. Both Sanders and Clinton have made recent campaign stops in West Virginia. Sanders’ campaign announced Tuesday he will return to the state later this week ahead of the May 10 primary. 

Credit Ashton Marra / West Virginia Public Broadcasting

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West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Businessman Jim Justice is leading with 37 percent of the primary vote over current former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodin’s 23 percent and state Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler’s 19 percent in the democratic primary.

Justice also leads unopposed republican candidate Bill Cole 41-35 for the general election, according to the poll.

“West Virginia gets tougher and tougher for Democrats when it comes to federal races,” said Debnam. “But in Jim Justice, Democrats have found a candidate who looks like he might be strong enough to at least keep the Governor’s office in their hands.”

Public Policy Polling says they surveyed 1,201 West Virginia voters, including 637 likely Democratic primary voters and 549 likely Republican primary voters between April 29 and May 1.

The polling organization says the margin of error is +/-2.8% overall, +/-3.9% for the Democrats and +/- 4.2% for the Republicans.

Eighty percent of participants, selected through a list-based sample, responded via the phone, while 20percent of respondents who did not have landlines conducted the survey over the internet through an opt-in internet panel.

Editor’s Note: For more election coverage leading up to West Virginia’s May 10 primary, visit elections.wvpublic.org.