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Poll: Kaine holds slim lead in Senate race

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A new Public Policy Polling survey of Virginia voters has former Gov. Tim Kaine ahead of former Gov. George Allen in the early, early walkup to their anticipated 2012 U.S. Senate race.

Kaine held a slim two-point lead over Allen in the polling. The lead is within the poll’s margin of error.

A Washington Post poll released last week had both Kaine and Allen at 46 percent. The PPP poll had Kaine at 46 percent and Allen at 44 percent.

“It’s hard to imagine the Virginia Senate race ever being anything other than highly competitive,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “When you have two highly polarizing candidates that voters have known for years it’s unlikely either of them will break away from the pack. There’s going to be a low number of undecideds, and it’s just going to come down to who does a better job of getting their people out and who can win over the very small number of swing voters there are.”

Kaine has the slight overall lead in the PPP poll because of a 45 percent-to-40 percent advantage with independents. Voters are closely divided in their feelings about both candidates – 42 percent have a favorable opinion of Kaine to 41 percent with an unfavorable one, while 36 percent have a favorable opinion of Allen to 42 percent with an unfavorable one.

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