M-D Poll: Warner maintains 29 point lead

Former Gov. Mark R. Warner continues to hold a colossal lead over former Gov. Jim Gilmore in the race to replace John W. Warner in the U.S. Senate.

Of 625 registered voters in Virginia, 61 percent favored Warner, compared with 32 percent for Gilmore, according to a new poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.

Warner, a Democrat, leads in all areas of Virginia and among all demographic groups, with the exception of voters identifying themselves as Republicans.

In the past two weeks, Warner’s 30-point advantage over Gilmore, a Republican, has held steady.

Another 1 percent of voters intend to vote for one of two third-party candidates: Independent Green Party nominee Glenda Gail Parker or Libertarian William Redpath. An estimated 6 percent of voters are undecided in the race.

The Shenandoah/Piedmont region, which includes the Charlottesville area, supports Warner by the slimmest margin in the state with 48 percent compared with Gilmore’s 44 percent.

While Charlottesville is heavily Democratic, the poll packs the city in with traditionally GOP-leaning areas such as the Shenandoah Valley.

The poll has a 4 percent margin of error.

Election Day is Tuesday. Polls places are open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The final day to vote absentee is Saturday.