From Ramussen reports below, the race has become a dead heat with both candidate's well under 50%. The debate may have drawn blood and given Kaine a bit of momentum.
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September 16, 2005--The race to be Virginia's next Governor is getting closer.
The latest Rasmussen Reports election poll finds Republican Jerry Kilgore leading Democrat Tim Kaine by just three percentage points. In August, Kilgore had a six point lead. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
Given a choice between Kilgore and Kaine, Kilgore gets 44% of the vote, Kaine attracts 41%, and 5% say they will vote for some "other" candidate.
When respondents are asked about a choice between Kilgore, Kaine, and Russell Potts, Kilgore retains a 3-point lead, 43% to 40%. Potts, a Republican running as an Independent, earns 5% of the vote and 2% say they will vote for someone else.