
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, October 17, 1993                   TAG: 9310170083
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: E-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

POLL: ALLEN'S LEAD 17 POINTS

With less than three weeks left in the governor's race, Republican George Allen led Democrat Mary Sue Terry by 17 percentage points in a poll released Saturday by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Richmond television station WWBT.

Allen led Terry 50 percent to 33 percent with 17 percent of those polled undecided or supporting neither candidate, according to the statewide poll.

The poll was based on telephone interviews with 554 registered voters in Virginia. The results could vary by 4 percentage points in either direction.

The poll was conducted Monday through Thursday by the research division of Media General Inc. for the Times-Dispatch and the Richmond television station. Media General is the parent company of the newspaper.

Allen, an early underdog, had 39 percent to Terry's 38 percent in a September poll by Media General.

The latest findings apparently mirror those of the gubernatorial campaigns, though their polls show the contest to be closer, according to spokesmen for both candidates.

"Your poll doesn't match the stuff that I have seen, but we're fighting our way back," said Terry strategist Tom King.

Jay Timmons, spokesman for the Allen organization, said the general trend of the poll is "encouraging and accurate, but it does inflate the margin between the two candidates."

In the campaign for lieutenant governor, Democratic incumbent Don Beyer leads with 44 percent to 33 percent for Mike Farris, a home-schooling advocate. Twenty-three percent are undecided or supporting neither.

In the attorney general race, Republican Jim Gilmore leads Democrat Bill Dolan 39 percent to 27 percent, but 34 percent have no preference. Dolan is a former state bar association president. Gilmore is the Henrico County commonwealth's attorney.

In other categories of the poll:

By a margin of 47 percent to 36 percent, respondents said they trust Allen more than Terry. Fifty-two percent said Allen most represents change in the direction of government, compared to 28 percent for Terry. In the September poll, respondents were divided evenly.

Voters view Allen as doing more than Terry to fight crime and to look out for the interests of children and families, as offering specific proposals to solve Virginia's problems and as being more understanding of the needs and problems of people, according to the poll.

Men favor Allen over Terry 60 percent to 28 percent. Thirty-seven percent of the women surveyed prefer Terry, while 42 percent support Allen.

Traditionally Democratic black voters are falling in line for Terry, while whites are strongly Republican. Among blacks expressing a preference, 55 percent favor Terry and 10 percent back Allen. Nearly 58 percent of the white respondents support Allen, compared to 29 percent for Terry.

No Democrat elected governor since 1981 has carried a majority of the white vote. Solid black support has always put the Democrats over the top.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB