Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul and Mitt Romney will be the only two names listed on the upcoming Virginia Republican primary election ballot, and according to a new poll, Virginians overwhelmingly choose Mr. Romney over Mr. Paul.
The Christopher Newport University/Richmond Times-Dispatch poll of Virginia voters released Tuesday shows Mr. Romney garnering 53 percent of the votes, trailed by Mr. Paul at 23 percent.
Additionally, voters overwhelmingly are not satisfied with only having two candidates to choose from, as a total of 57 percent of the voters stated they would like to see other names listed on the ballot.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will not be listed on the Virginia ballot, after failing to submit enough signatures in December to qualify for the primary ballot in accordance with the Virginia Election Commission rules.
The pollsters also surveyed the voters regarding hypothetical general election match ups between President Barack Obama and all of the remaining Republican presidential candidates.
Mr. Santorum actually did the best against the president, as he finished leading the president 46-42 percent. Mr. Romney finished with a three percentage point lead on the president, 46-43 percent, and Mr. Paul finished the poll tied with the president 43-43 percent.
Mr. Obama leads Mr. Gingrich in Virginia 45-40 percent, which is further proof that Mr. Gingrich is declining in the primary race, as he actually lives in Virginia but still fares the worst there out of all of the remaining candidates.
Mr. Paul’s campaign team posted the results of the CNU poll to his presidential campaign website, promoting his tie with President Obama in the general election match up category.
“For Republicans to have a serious chance of defeating Obama come November, they should have the organization, fundraising, and stamina required for a protracted 50-state campaign. Ron Paul has that, and he also has broad appeal,” said John Tate, campaign manager for Mr. Paul. “Proof of that is in Virginia, where Ron Paul is only one of two choices in the primary and where Republicans, Independents, and conservative Southern Democrats will play a big role in selecting who our next President will be.”
The Virginia Republican primary election is scheduled for Super Tuesday in March, one of 10 primary elections on that day.
Mr. Romney’s endorsement from Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is proving to be a bonus for him among Virginia voters.
The CNU/Richmond Times-Dispatch poll was conducted between February 4th and February 12th among 1,018 registered voters in Virginia, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
