In the Senate race, Warner leads Gilmore 61 percent to 31 percent, a 2 to 1 margin replicated in nearly every region of the state. Warner leads Davis 63 percent to 28 percent. In vote-rich Fairfax County, where Davis argues that he would have more appeal than some recent statewide GOP candidates, Warner is up by 24 percentage points over the congressman (57 percent to 33 percent).
Warner has a 67 percent favorability rating, and his appeal crosses party lines.
More than 7 in 10 Democrats have a favorable impression of the former governor, as do 69 percent of independents and 61 percent of the state's Republicans. Even 4 in 10 self-described conservatives said they would vote for Warner, who was elected governor in 2001 as a pro-gun Democrat who appealed to voters in traditionally GOP counties.
While 54 percent have no opinion of Davis, 28 percent view him favorably and 18 percent, unfavorably.
Gilmore is better known (27 percent express no opinion), but his ratings have eroded over the past decade. In 1997, on the eve of his election as governor, 60 percent viewed Gilmore favorably. Now, 40 percent have a favorable impression of him.
But in a possible primary matchup, Gilmore draws support from conservatives and white evangelicals, who are driving his lead of 48 percent to 29 percent over Davis among Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP.
The Post poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 4 through 8 among a random sample of 1,144 Virginia adults, including 993 registered voters. The results from the full poll have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
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