BY BOB LEWIS

The Associated Press

Republican John McCain leads either of the Democrats in the presidential race in Virginia, according to a statewide poll released today by Virginia Commonwealth University.

Here are the numbers when residents were asked how they would vote if the election were held today.

McCain vs. Barack Obama:

McCain 44 percent

Obama 36 percent

Undecided 15 percent

McCain vs. Hillary Rodham Clinton:

McCain 47 percent

Clinton 38 percent

Undecided 11 percent

The results are based on telephone surveys of 862 registered Virginia voters from May 12 through May 18 by The Commonwealth Poll, conducted by VCU. In each case, the difference was outside the margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

McCain leads despite deep disapproval of Republican President Bush. Thirty-one percent had an unfavorable opinion of the president.

State Democratic Party chairman C. Richard Cranwell said the results weren't surprising considering the election is five months off and his party hasn't settled on a nominee.

"I suspect that by the time the election gets here, those numbers will be significantly different," Cranwell said.

"Virginia is clearly in play. What you've got right now is Hillary and Obama competing against one another while John McCain's gotten a free ride," he said.

Virginia has backed only one Democrat for president since 1952 -- Lyndon Johnson in 1964. But consecutive Democratic victories in the past two governor's races and Democrat Jim Webb's upset of Republican Sen. George Allen in 2006 means the state is viewed as a battleground this year.

Virginia Republican chairman John Hager said the results were consistent with the party's own polling. The GOP and McCain yesterday opened a state coordinated campaign headquarters in Arlington.

"We haven't been wasting time," Hager said. "We've been taking advantage of this lull time with the Democrats fighting it out."