Image courtesy: Donkey-Hotey

From the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute:

For the first time in this election cycle, President Barack Obama inches ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the leading Republican candidate, 47 – 43 percent in Virginia, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.  Romney has a commanding lead among likely Republican primary voters in the state’s no-Newt Gingrich presidential primary.

Today’s results contrast to results of a December 21 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University, showing Romney with 44 percent and President Obama with 42 percent.

Virginia voters still give the president a slightly negative 46 – 49 percent job approval rating.  They split 46 – 48 percent on whether Obama deserves a second term in the Oval Office, but that represents a serious improvement from December when voters said 53 – 41 percent he did not deserve four more years.

In the state’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race Democrat Tim Kaine has 45 percent to Republican George Allen’s 44 percent.

Click here for more information and a breakdown of the poll numbers.