Incumbent Republican Sen. George Allen’s ratings slide appears to have halted, but it’s too early to tell whether his campaign has reversed its course. The latest Rasmussen Reports election survey shows Allen leading Democrat James Webb 50% to 43% (see crosstabs). His lead was five points in August’s poll.

Virginia remains in the "Leans Republican" category for our Senate Balance of Power summary.

Allen lost ground last month after questionable comments about a tracker from Webb’s campaign, who is of Indian descent, were captured on video. The current results mark Allen’s return to the 50% mark among likely voters, a position he held last in July.

Both candidates are performing well with their respective bases and are drawing near-equal crossover support. Eighty-five percent (85%) of Republicans support Allen and 80% of Democrats support Webb.

Twenty-eight percent (28%) of voters say they have a “very favorable” opinion of Allen and 20% have a “very unfavorable” opinion. Thirteen percent (13%) have “very favorable” views of Webb and 10% are at the opposite end of the spectrum.

It now may be Webb’s turn to come under fire for controversial comments. Earlier this week, a group of retired female military officers condemned Webb for a 1979 article he penned for Washingtonian magazine titled “Women Can’t Fight.” In the article, Webb, who was instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy at the time, criticized that institution’s decision to admit women cadets, claiming their presence was a distraction and that he had yet to encounter a female officer who could provide their male counterparts with combat leadership.

When asked which issue is most important overall to the upcoming November elections, 25% say the economy, 22% say the war in Iraq, and 19% say national security. The last time this question was asked in July, the economy was tops with 28%, followed by national security (23%) and the war in Iraq (17%.) It’s worth noting that immigration has taken a six-point jump during the same time period, from 10% in July to 16% this month.

Fifty percent (50%) of Virginia voters surveyed consider the war in Iraq part of the overall war on terror and 43% consider it a distraction.

Perhaps it’s a symptom of election season, but a plurality of 27% say they discuss politics and current events “every day” followed by 25% who say they discuss such matters “several times a week.” However, despite being politically aware, 68% say they have yet to meet their representatives in Congress.

Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.