A new Washington Post poll has U.S. Senate candidiates George Allen and Tim Kaine neck-and-neck as the former Virginia governors gear up for one of the most highly-anticipated races of 2012.
The two are tied at 46 percent among registered voters; 58 percent of voters approved of Kaine’s tenure as governor, and 55 percent of voters approved of Allen’s performance in the U.S. Senate.
Allen, a Republican, held a 12-point advantage among men, while Kaine, a Democrat, had a similar advantage among women, according to the poll. In Northern Virginia, Kaine had a hefty 21-point advantage, while Allen had a six-point lead in the rest of the state.
But Allen also led Kaine in “exurban” counties that include Loudoun and Prince William – notorious swing areas in the deeply purple state – by 14 points, and among independents by 10 points.
Allen faces a crowded GOP primary field, but the poll suggests he’s in a very good position to pick up the nomination. More than half of Republican voters favored Allen, compared to single digits for Tea Party activist Jamie Radtke, Hampton Roads lawyer David McCormick, Northern Virginia television mogul Tim Donner, Chesapeake Bishop E.W. Jackson, and potential candidates Del. Bob Marshall, R-Prince William and Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart.
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., has said he would decide whether to run for Senate by July, and Kaine had a 67-17 lead over Scott among Democratic voters.
The poll was conducted by telephone from April 28 to May 4, and included a random sample of 1,180 Virginia adults, which included 1,040 registered voters. There was a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent among the registered voters.
In short: It’s going to be a barnburner…
