Virginia’s U.S. Senate race is anything but.
The latest Mason-Dixon Poll for The Daily Progress and other Virginia newspapers puts Democrat Mark R. Warner comfortably ahead of Republican Jim Gilmore — 58 percent to 33 percent, with 9 percent undecided.
Warner’s lead is essentially unchanged from two weeks ago, when the poll gave him 57 percent to 31 percent for Gilmore. Eleven percent were undecided.
The new survey shows Warner ahead of Gilmore in all regions of the state and among all voter groups, except Republicans.
But even among Republicans, Warner is backed by one in four.
The Warner campaign played down the poll’s results. A Gilmore strategist suggested they are misleading. “Governor Warner appreciates the broad support indicated by the polls, and he will be working extremely hard between now and the election day for the privilege of going to Washington to get to work on our nation’s challenges,” said Warner spokesman Kevin Hall.
Dick Leggitt, a senior adviser to Gilmore, said the poll is inaccurate because “a lot of conservatives won’t talk to pollsters, and when they hang up, the results get skewed.” Leggitt added, “A lot of the questions are so long only shut-ins have time to answer them.”
The contest to succeed retiring Sen. John W. Warner, R-Alexandria., has been largely overshadowed by the presidential campaign. Virginia has emerged as a battleground, possibly poised to back a Democrat for the White House for the first time in 44 years. Warner, with a 61 percent favorable rating — better than twice that for Gilmore, is now attempting to use his broad popularity to Obama’s advantage.
Warner is running radio commercials touting Obama, who — according to the poll — is in a statistical dead heat here with Republican John McCain. Also, Warner’s and Obama’s names appear side by side in promotional literature and yard signs.
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