Poll: Mark Warner in great shape for 2014

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) looks to be in great shape for his 2014 reelection campaign, according to a new poll from the Democratic-affiliated Public Policy Polling.

Warner's approval rating stands at 52 percent, with 31 disapproving, and leads potential GOP challengers by a wide margin — including Gov. Bob McDonnell (R). McDonnell has a solid 48-to-35 percent approval rating spread but would trail Warner by 52-to-42 percent if he ran against him.

Other hypothetical GOP challengers fare even worse against Warner, whom polls show time and again is the state's most popular politician. Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) would trail by 18 points, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) would trail Warner by 19 points.

President Obama's standing in the state has also improved: he now has a 53 percent approval rating, with 43 percent disapproving. That's up from a 47 percent job approval rating he had the last time the pollster checked in on Virginia, shortly before the election and closely mirroring his standing in national polling.

The automated poll of 602 Virginia voters was conducted from Jan. 4-6 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

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