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Poll: Kaine increases lead in Virginia Senate race
Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) has increased his lead over Republican opponent George Allen for Virginia’s open Senate seat, according to a poll released Monday.
Kaine's advantage over Allen has grown to 7 percentage points, according to Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm. The poll, conducted Oct. 4-7, showed Kaine with 51 percent support and Allen with 44 percent.
Three weeks ago, the polling firm showed Kaine with a 1-point lead over the former GOP senator and state governor.
Kaine cut Allen’s lead among white voters to 9 percentage points, down from 16 percent, PPP noted.
The PPP survey results come on the heels of an Oct. 4 poll by the conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports, which also showed Kaine with a 7-point lead over Allen. Kaine leads in the Real Clear Politics polling average by 4.7 points.
The Virginia Senate race has drawn attention in energy circles, where advertisements have portrayed Allen as beholden to Big Oil.
Allen favors expanding domestic onshore and offshore fossil fuel development and notes he has “long opposed a carbon tax.” The Allen campaign and outside groups like the Karl Rove-backed Crossroads GPS have criticized Kaine for supporting the concept of a cap-and-trade emissions program.
Kaine says on his campaign website that the nation needs to make “a commitment to transition to a lower-carbon energy portfolio” by expanding the use of clean-energy technology.
Kaine has outraised Allen in every fundraising quarter since the campaign began, with Kaine hauling in $15 million to Allen’s $11.2 million. But outside groups have flooded the race as well, making it unlikely either campaign will have a significant edge in airtime.
The two candidates will square off Monday in a televised debate in Richmond, Va.
