Poll: Allen and Kaine deadlocked in Va. Senate race

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine and former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) are statistically tied in the race for Virginia's open Senate seat, a poll released Thursday shows.

If the election were held today, 43 percent of registered voters in the Old Dominion said they would vote for Kaine and 42 percent would vote for Allen, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.

The results of the latest poll are not much different from a Washington Post poll released last month showing the candidates tied, indicating the race to replace Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) will be one of the most competitive of the 2012 cycle. 

The Kaine-Allen matchup is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests next year, featuring two former Virginia governors who have built up national political profiles over the past decade.

It's also taking place in a key swing state won by former Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D) in the 2008 presidential election. His victory in Virginia was the first by a Democratic nominee there since 1964, and Republicans are hungry to take control of the state following their strong showing there in the 2010 midterms. 

But Democrats are hoping that President Obama's coattails will boost their party in 2012. Kaine has close ties to Obama, having served as DNC chairman during the first two years of his presidency.

The Quinnipiac poll showed some of the early contours of the race. Independents are breaking for Allen 46-38 percent, and men favor him over Kaine by a seven-point margin.

On the other hand, women prefer Kaine 45-37 percent, and 69 percent of black voters favor Kaine compared to just 11 percent who back Allen.

Obama's numbers mirror those in the Senate race — voters are split on his approval rating 48-48 percent and he's tied in a matchup with a generic Republican 43-41 percent.

Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,434 registered voters in Virginia between June 21-27. The margin of error is 2.6 percentage points.

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