RICHMOND — A business-sponsored poll of likely Virginia voters shows majorities opposed to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from foreign countries and the Department of Government Efficiency’s unilateral cuts to federal government jobs and spending.
The Virginia FREE poll, surveying 1,000 likely voters between May 9 and May 13, showed 61% opposed to Trump’s tariff policies on imports from China and other U.S. trading partners, with opposition highest among women and Black voters. Smaller majorities of men and white voters said they oppose the president’s tariffs.
A 53% majority of voters polled said they oppose DOGE cuts to the federal workforce and spending. DOGE, based in the White House, is an operation businessman Elon Musk initially led.
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Opposition is strongest in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, where the cuts are hitting hardest, and among government employees, those close to them, retirees and people not currently working. A smaller majority of likely voters in the Richmond area said they oppose the DOGE cuts.
A majority of private sector employees surveyed said they support the White House effort.
Support varies widely based on political and racial lines, with Democrats and independents opposed and Republicans in support. A majority of Black voters surveyed said they opposed the DOGE cuts, while half of white voters said they support them.
Right-to-work law
The poll also found overwhelming public support for Virginia’s right-to-work law, which is a top priority of Virginia FREE, the business advocacy organization that commissioned the poll. The law, adopted in 1947 under Gov. Bill Tuck, forbids requiring employees in union-represented jobs to join a union or pay dues.
The law has become an issue in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, with all six candidates supporting repeal. It also has been an issue in the general election for governor.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee, has sought to use the issue against Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman in the 7th District. Spanberger said this month that she would not support full repeal of the law, but would consider reforms.
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Virginia FREE, founded in 1988 as the Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education, was led for 25 years by Clayton Roberts, a former official at the National Right to Work Committee and Legal Defense Fund.
“It is one of our founding issues,” said Chris Saxman, a former Republican delegate from Staunton who has served as president of Virginia FREE since 2014.
Saxman said Virginia FREE commissioned the poll because “the business community is absolutely interested in where Virginians stand on the issues of the day, most notably DOGE, tariffs and right to work.”
This week the organization also plans to release a poll of Virginia voters on the governor’s race.
Pantheon Insight and HarrisX surveyed the likely voters. The polling firms said they weighted the results by geography, gender, age, the 2024 election ballot and education to “reflect a likely 2025 electorate” in a non-presidential year. The margin of error in the poll is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The poll asked voters about tariffs and right-to-work in two different ways.
Asked whether they support “President Trump’s new tariff policies that are raising taxes on goods imported from other countries like China,” 45% responded that they strongly oppose them and 17% said they somewhat oppose them. In contrast, 21% said they strongly support the tariffs and 17% said they somewhat oppose them.
The poll also gave voters a choice between two statements about tariffs: one that short-term losses in the stock market are worth long-term benefits, such as bringing back manufacturing jobs to the U.S., and the other that they are not worth the effects on Virginia exports and higher prices on consumers. A 57% majority responded that tariffs “are not worth it,” while 43% said they are.
On right-to-work, 89% agreed strongly or somewhat with the statement, “Workers should never be forced against their will to join a union or pay dues to a union as part of their job.”
Support declined when the poll gave voters a choice between two statements.
One stated, “People say that union dues often go to political candidates and causes, so each worker should be able to decide for themselves if they want to pay union dues,” which 77% supported. The other stated, “People say that union contracts cover all workers, so all workers covered by union contracts should pay at least some union dues,” which 23% supported.