ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke College has released its poll for the upcoming races in the Star City.
The poll shows Vice Mayor Joe Cobb holding a significant lead in the Roanoke mayoral race, with 50% support. This is ahead of former Mayor David Bowers at 26% and Councilwoman Stephanie Moon Reynolds, who trails with 18%.
Both Joe Cobb and Stephanie Moon Reynolds joined 10 News live at 5 and 7 to give their reactions on the poll.
“I think one of the major things is just how present I am in the community. How I show up, how I am engaged throughout the city. I listen very carefully to residents, to issues that are important to them and I advocate for them,” Cobb said.
“655 people are going to determine where I fit in at the poll and what the percentage is? Similar to what happened in 2020, I was the underdog then because I was an independent,” Moon Reynolds said.
Meanwhile, David Bowers was unable to do an interview on Wednesday. However, he did manage to stop by earlier this week to talk about why people should vote for him.
“I want people to know that I still have a lot of energy. I have a lot of enthusiasm. I have some new ideas that I want to put forth as well for Roanoke,” Bowers said.
In the Roanoke City Council race, several candidates are vying for three open seats, including Terry McGuire, Phazhon Nash, Evelyn Powers, Benjamin Woods, Nick Hagen, Jim Garrett and Cathy Reynolds. Here’s what the poll reveals:
- Terry McGuire is leading at 54%, with Nash following closely behind him at 51%
- Evelyn Powers (35%), Benjamin Woods (34%) and Nick Hagen (33%) are in a close contest for the third seat
- Jim Garrett isn’t far behind with 28%; Cathy Reynolds has 10%
The poll is based on responses from 655 likely registered voters in Roanoke City. It was conducted between Oct. 22 and 27 by the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research and has a margin of error of 4.8%.
What else does the poll indicate?
According to the results, economic development was chosen as the most important local issue by 23% of likely voters, followed by crime (19%), homelessness (16%) and housing (14%). Other issues listed as most important included education (9%), city hall management (6%), zoning (5%) and jobs (2%).
Additionally, the poll reveals that voters are divisive on issues such as land development and preservation near Valley View Mall, with 39% thinking the land across I-581 from Valley View Mall should be preserved and 32% thinking it should be developed.
Voters also strongly favor the new council selecting the next manager.
“The mayoral election does not appear to be close, but at least one of the seats on city council may be a nail-biter,” said Dr. Harry Wilson, senior political analyst for IPOR and professor emeritus of political science at Roanoke College. “Joe Cobb’s lead looks to be insurmountable. While McGuire and Nash hold strong leads for the first two council seats, four candidates are within striking distance of claiming the third seat. The Democratic ticket is strong, as expected in the heavily Democrat city, but a Republican or independent might win that third seat.”
“While Benjamin Woods is being aided by his party affiliation, Evelyn Powers is using her name recognition to overcome both party and ballot position,” Wilson said. “Perhaps the biggest surprise is that almost half of the likely voters have already cast their ballot.”
This is IPOR’s first poll focusing on local elections in the Star City.
For more information about the Roanoke College Poll, click here.
A copy of the questions and all toplines may be found here.
