Va. Poll Gives Mark Warner Wide Lead in Senate Race

In the GOP contest, 34 percent support Giuliani and 20 percent back Sen. John McCain (Ariz). Fred Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, polled at 19 percent. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is at 9 percent, and the rest of the field is in the low single digits.

Giuliani's star is hitched to a perception that he is the most electable GOP candidate and that he is the strongest leader in the field. About 3 in 10 white evangelical Protestants and weekly churchgoers back Giuliani. Many analysts consider his support for abortion and gay rights a liability among those key GOP primary voters.

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).

Gilmore and Davis say they are confident that Warner's lead will significantly diminish as the race heats up.

Warner's large advantages are a testament to his broad popularity, voters' unfamiliarity with his likeliest opponents and the state's current Democratic trend.

"He seems to have it all together," said Diane Ward, 56, an independent from Roanoke. "There are times when I don't vote because there is no one I feel comfortable voting for, but I feel comfortable with him."

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.

"I pretty much always voted Republican, but I would vote for Mark Warner," said Jimmy Wetzel, 64, of Shenandoah. "I think on some things, Mark Warner is probably pretty conservative."

More than half of Virginians do not know enough about Davis to rate him favorably or unfavorably.

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.