Warner most popular Va. governor of past two decades

In case you're wondering why Democrat R. Creigh Deeds' TV ads feature Sen. Mark R. Warner and not Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, here's your answer.

Warner, who served as Virginia's chief executive from 2002 to 2006, is Virginia's most popular governor of the last 20 years, according to a survey by Public Policy Polling.

Warner was the choice of 40 percent of respondents, followed by another governor-turned senator, Republican George Allen, at 31 percent.

L. Douglas Wilder, a Democrat who served as governor from 1990-94, was the favorite of 11 percent.

Democrat Kaine, at 9 percent, tied for last place with Republican Jim Gilmore, Virginia's governor from 1998 to 2002.

Warner was the top pick among Democratic respondents, garnering 60 percent of their support, and Allen topped Republican respondents at 59 percent.

But Warner topped Gilmore as the second favorite among Republican voters.

When voters were asked to name their least-favorite governor in the last two decades, 30 percent chose Gilmore, to 26 percent for Kaine, 20 percent for Allen, 17 percent for Wilder and 7 percent for Warner.

The pollster surveyed 576 likely voters in Virginia from Sept. 25-28. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

-- Andrew Cain