Deeds narrows contest, poll finds

Democrat R. Creigh Deeds has drawn within 4 percentage points of Republican Bob McDonnell among likely voters, according to a Washington Post poll released yesterday.

Deeds, a state senator from Bath County, has gained among women voters and in Northern Virginia as McDonnell's 1989 graduate school thesis has become an issue in the past three weeks.

McDonnell, a former state attorney general, led 51 percent to 47 percent in the poll of 1,003 likely voters taken last Monday through Thursday. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

In the Post's August poll, McDonnell led 54 percent to 39 percent among likely voters.

"As people finally become focused on this race, they are seeing the stark differences between the candidates," said Deeds campaign manager Joe Abbey.

"People are moving towards Creigh because they trust him to keep Virginia moving forward. And they are moving away from Bob McDonnell because they know his social agenda is outside the mainstream and would take Virginia backwards."

Crystal Cameron, a spokeswoman for the McDonnell campaign, said: "We've always known this would be a close and competitive election."

She noted that Virginia Democrats have won two consecutive races for governor and two straight U.S. Senate contests and that Barack Obama carried the state in last year's presidential election.

"We will continue to run a positive campaign focused on the issues that Virginians care about, and we will continue to run like we are 10 points behind," Cameron said.

The Post reported that in the new poll, independent women favored Deeds by 50 percent to 47 percent. In August, they favored McDonnell 59 percent to 31 percent.

In Northern Virginia, Deeds has opened up an edge of 57 percent to 40 percent among likely voters. In August, the candidates were running neck and neck in Northern Virginia.

Among other things, McDonnell wrote in the 1989 thesis that working women and feminists are detrimental to the family. In interviews, ads and most recently in a Thursday debate in Fairfax County, McDonnell has said he no longer holds such views.

In the Post poll, 36 percent of McDonnell supporters said they are "very enthusiastic" about his candidacy, compared with 22 percent of Deeds' backers.

Voters overwhelmingly said the economy is the most important issue in the contest.

Asked whom they trust to do a better job on particular issues, voters gave Deeds a 10-point edge on "issues of special concern to women" and a smaller edge over McDonnell on abortion, education and health care.

But voters said they trust McDonnell more on transportation, the state budget, the economy, taxes and gun control. They also found that McDonnell would be a more effective leader, 50 percent to 45 percent.