Kaine and Allen are running for the open Virginia Senate seat. | REUTERS Va. poll: Kaine, Allen neck and neck

The heavyweight clash between former Virginia Govs. Tim Kaine (D) and George Allen (R) for a U.S. Senate seat remains deadlocked, a new poll Wednesday shows.

Five months out from the election this November, Kaine leads Allen 44 percent to 43 percent, according to the survey by Quinnipiac University.


Polling has shown the two within the margin of error for quite some time, foreshadowing a hard-fought campaign to come over the next few months.

“The Senate race looks like it will go down to the wire on Election Day,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the polling institute. “With 10 percent of voters undecided, each man has the opportunity to win the seat.”

Meanwhile, term-limited Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-Va.) received the approval from a majority of the state’s voters – 53 percent approval to 30 percent disapproval. However, this was close to his all-time low of 53 percent approval to 32 percent disapproval.

“Although Gov. McDonnell’s numbers have come down from their highs in the 60s, he still ranks among the nation’s more popular governors,” Brown said.

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli continues to be a favorite to replace McDonnell, and at this point has a chokehold over the 2013 Republican primary for governor, leading Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling 51 percent to 15 percent.

The Quinnipiac poll was conducted May 30 to June 4, with a sample of 1,282 voters and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. For the Republican primary sample, Quinnipiac interviewed 549 Republicans, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percent.