McDonnell takes lead in early poll

Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2009 gubernatorial election, is running ahead of all three Democratic candidates in that race, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released Thursday.

McDonnell leads former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe be seven points, 42 percent to 35 percent. That is two points greater than the five point advantage McDonnell, a former Virginia Beach delegate, had over McAuliffe in a December poll.

The attorney general, who this week announced he will resign Feb. 20 to focus on campaigning, has a nine point margin over state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, 39 percent to 30 percent. The two men, who ran against each other in 2005 for attorney general, were tied two months ago.

Former Alexandria Del. Brian Moran is closest, trailing McDonnell by three points, 39 percent to 36 percent. That is a reversal from the December Rasmussen poll, when Moran had a four point lead.

The election is ten months away and the poll notes these early results come before many voters have tuned into the race.

-- Julian Walker

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