A Tim Kaine announcement on whether he’s running for U.S. Senate is reportedly coming soon. And, as if he didn’t need more pushing, a poll released Monday shows that the Democratic National Committee chairman and former Virginia governor is lapping the field of other potential Democratic contenders.

More than half of Democratic primary voters said they would most like to see Kaine as their 2012 U.S. Senate nominee, according to the poll released Monday by the Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling. That compares to single digits for a host of other candidates, including former Reps. Tom Perriello and Rick Boucher and former Gov. Doug Wilder.

If the choices narrow to Kaine, Boucher, and Perriello, nearly two-thirds favor Kaine, compared to 15 percent for Perriello, who has nonetheless generated significant excitement among the grassroots in the Old Dominion, and 11 percent for Boucher.