Poll Tracker

A SurveyUSA poll conducted Oct. 25-26 of Virginia voters puts Republican Bob McDonnell up by 17 percentage points in next Tuesday's election for governor -- the fifth public poll in the past week that gives him a commanding, double-digit lead over Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds.

The SurveyUSA poll, which canvassed 502 voters who say they are likely to cast a ballot on Nov. 3, puts McDonnell up by 58 percent to 41 percent. McDonnell has a strong lead among political independents, 60 percent to 38 percent.

McDonnell is peeling away parts of the voter coalition that has boosted recent Democratic successes in Virginia, including Tim Kaine's election as governor in 2005 and Barack Obama's election as president in 2008.

SurveyUSA says that McDonnell is winning 21 percent of African-Americans, who usually give at least 90 percent of their votes to Democratic candidates; 16 percent of those who said they voted for Obama; 14 percent of self-identified Democrats; and 38 percent of those who describe their position on abortion as "pro-choice." McDonnell is a longstanding opponent of abortion, though he has largely ignored that issue and focused instead on the economy and transportation.