The latest from Virginia:
George Allen and Timothy M. Kaine are locked in a dead heat 18 months from Election Day, according to a new Washington Post poll, suggesting that the U.S. Senate race between the Virginia titans may live up to its billing as one of the most competitive contests in the nation.
The candidates are tied at 46 percent among registered voters in the battle to succeed retiring Sen. James Webb (D). Neither Allen (R) nor Kaine (D) is guaranteed his party’s nomination, but the survey shows that both men enjoy huge leads over potential intraparty opponents.