Allen internal poll shows him ahead in Virginia

Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) is out with an internal poll that shows him with a three-point lead over former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) in their Senate race, a move designed to push back against a string of recent public polls showing Kaine with the lead.

Allen leads Kaine by 49 to 46 percent in the poll, conducted by the respected GOP pollster John McLaughlin. Kaine has narrowly led Allen in most recent polling of the race.

Mitt Romney leads President Obama by 51 to 44 percent in the same poll, a jump from the neck-and-neck race most public polls have shown of Virginia in recent days.

Allen has made a concerted effort to reach out to women and independents on the trail and in ads. The poll shows Allen leading with independents, who lean Republican in the state, by 47 to 41 percent, but did not include a breakdown on male and female voters. Like recent public polling, it shows Romney outpacing Allen in the race.

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