Virginia Senate: Kaine 46%, Allen 45%

One of the most closely watched 2012 U.S. Senate races – the showdown in Virginia – is virtually dead even.

Former Democratic Governor Tim Kaine earns 46% support to ex-Republican Senator George Allen’s 45% in the first Rasmussen Reports Election 2012 telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Old Dominion. Three percent (3%) like some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Both Allen and Kaine face primary challenges but are expected to prevail. The men are equally matched in terms of favorability as far as Virginia voters are concerned. Forty-seven percent (47%) have a favorable opinion of each of them. That includes 21% with a Very Favorable opinion of Kaine and 20% with a Very Favorable view of Allen.

Forty percent (40%) have an unfavorable opinion of Kaine who stepped down as chairman of the Democratic National Committee earlier this year, including 18% who see him Very Unfavorably. Allen is viewed unfavorably by 39%, with 23% who share a Very Unfavorable regard for him. Fourteen percent (14%) of the state’s voters have no opinion of either man.

Just four percent (4%) of all Virginia voters now rate the economy as good or excellent, while 59% view it as poor. Only 15% say the economy is getting better. Fifty-six percent (56%) think the economy is getting worse, while 24% say it’s staying about the same.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of voters in the state say their own finances are good or excellent. Fourteen percent (14%) regard their personal finances as poor.

Allen is seeking to reclaim the seat he lost in 2006 to Democrat Jim Webb who has chosen not to seek reelection. Kaine is hoping to follow in Allen’s footsteps by moving from the governor’s mansion to the U.S. Senate. Virginia which went Democratic in the 2008 presidential contest for the first time in decades is seen by many as a bellwether next year in terms of the fortunes of President Obama and Democrats in general.

Rasmussen Reports will release its first numbers pairing the president against the top Republican 2012 hopefuls in Virginia tomorrow.Rasmussen Reports regularly updates data on potential Election 2012 match-ups. Beginning tomorrow, October 1, these articles will be available to subscribers only. Subscriptions are available for $3.95 a month or $34.95 annually. For those who sign up today (Friday), a pre-launch discount of 58% is available.  To view the most recent match-up results between President Obama and Republican hopefuls, click HERE.

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The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Virginia was conducted on September 28, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.