McDonnell, GOP ticket up in new poll

Republican Bob McDonnell has a 14-point lead (51 percent to 37 percent) over Democrat Creigh Deeds in the latest poll of Virginia's gubernatorial race by Public Policy Polling.

Those poll results are the second released in the past week showing McDonnell solidly ahead of Deeds -- a SurveyUSA analysis showed the Republican with a 55-40 advantage over his Democratic rival.

McDonnell's Republican ticket mates, likewise, are ahead in both polls.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R), an incumbent seeking re-election, tops former state finance secretary and Virginia Beach resident Jody Wagner (D) by a 48-34 margin in the lieutenant governor contest (SurveyUSA has the race 54-42).

In the attorney general race, state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax, leads state Del. Steve Shannon, D-Fairfax, 45-32 (the split is 53-42, according to SurveyUSA).

The latest PPP poll is the second consecutive survey to show McDonnell ahead of Deeds after the Democrat briefly surged into the lead on the heels of his come-from-behind win in the June 9 Democratic primary election.

In a statement attached to the poll findings, McDonnell's gains are partially attributed to President Barack Obama's declining approval ratings in Virginia.

"That said, Creigh Deeds was 16 points back five weeks before the primary and charged back to win so it's way to early to count him out," reminded Dean Debnam, president of PPP, a left-leaning North Carolina firm.

Possible gains among African Americans (a group Deeds underperformed with in South Hampton Roads precincts during the primary) and younger voters are mentioned in the poll analysis as potential bright spots for the Democrat.

The poll sampled 579 Virginia voters from July 31-Aug. 3 and has a 4.1 percent margin of error; 526 likely voters were contacted for the SurveyUSA poll between July 27 and July 28. Its margin of error is 4.3 percent for the governor and lieutenant governor races, and 4.4 percent in the attorney general contest.

-- Julian Walker

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