The 3 issues deciding Virginia's governor's race

• And some voter priorities have already majorly shifted from a VCU Wilder School poll earlier this year, which suggests that Virginians are reacting to real-time pressures.

By the numbers: In the VCU poll published last month, 29% of respondents cited cost of living as their most important voter issue.

• That was followed by immigration (14%) and abortion (14%).
• The same poll released in January had immigration trailing behind K-12 education (14%), crime (9%) and the economy (59%).

Flashback: In the last gubernatorial election in 2021, a VCU poll showed the top issues for voters were the economy, health care, racial inequity and public education.

Here's where Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger stand on the current top voter issues, less than three months from Election Day:

Cost of living

• Earle-Sears says she'll reduce the cost of living via tax relief and cutting "wasteful government spending," per her site.
• Spanberger's "Affordable Virginia" plan details how she wants to lower health care and energy costs and increase the housing supply. Ideas include cutting construction red tape and making sure data centers cover their power costs.

Immigration

• Earle-Sears has pledged to crack down on illegal immigration and keep Virginia as a hot spot for immigration enforcement. She also supports using state police and the National Guard to detain immigrants.

• Spanberger said she supports deporting people without legal status who have been convicted of a crime, but has criticized using local police for immigration enforcement.

Reproductive rights

• Earle-Sears has rarely mentioned abortion on the campaign trail and recently declined to say if she'd restrict abortion access as governor. But she's previously supported a 15-week ban.
• Spanberger voted to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law while in Congress and said she'd "defend" abortion rights in Virginia, per her site.

What's next: Robyn McDougle, associate dean of research and outreach at the Wilder School, told Axios the next poll on voter issues should be out in early September.

• The responses could show whether these three issues hold or shift as tariffs and health programs re-enter the spotlight.