Deeds leads early in Va. governor 'rematch'

RICHMOND, Va. - Just two days after his big victory in the Virginia Democratic Primary, a new poll finds Creigh Deeds with a lead over Republican challenger Bob McDonnell for governor.

The Rasmussen Reports poll shows Deeds favored by 47 percent of those questioned. McDonnell's favorables were at 41 percent, with 2 percent favoring other candidates and 10 percent undecided.

The poll shows different results when dealing with specific issues. McDonnell is trusted more on taxes with a 44 percent to 36 percent advantage. But the same group of 500 voters questioned gave Deeds a 14-point lead on who would best confront the states' longstanding transportation problems.

Deeds won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, getting 50 percent of the vote against two other candidates.

McDonnell, who has had no republican challenger, was nominated at a party convention last month.

The election is somewhat of a rematch from 2005 when McDonnell beat Deeds for the Attorney General's job by just 323 votes, the closest statewide election in Virginia history.

The poll has a margin of error of 4.5 percent either way.

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