VA Democratic governor race: Spanberger leads in polls but Sears appears to be closing gap What we know: This morning there's a new poll out in the Virginia's governor's race. Democrat Abigail Spanberger leads Republican Winsome Earle-Sears by seven points in the race for Virginia governor, according to a new Roanoke College poll released Tuesday morning. The survey from the school's Institute for Policy and Opinion Research shows 46% of likely voters are backing Spanberger compared to 39% for Earle-Sears. The poll shows that 14% remain undecided, and 1% support another candidate. Dig deeper: The race has been tightening since May, when Spanberger held a 17-point advantage. "Many Republicans seem to have 'come home' to Earle-Sears since the May poll, but Spanberger's voters are slightly more enthusiastic about voting and more certain of their vote," said Harry Wilson, interim director of the Institute.