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Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and former Sen. George Allen, R-Va., remain deadlocked in the race to become the Old Dominion's next senator, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.

Kaine leads Allen, 45 percent to 44 percent. In all three surveys Quinnipiac has conducted in the race this year, the two likely candidates have never been separated by more than a point.

Each candidate holds members of their own party: Kaine leads among Democrats, 85 percent to 7 percent, while Allen dominates among Republicans, 86 percent to 8 percent. Allen also leads among independents, 46 percent to 37 percent.

Virginia voters have positive opinions of both candidates: Kaine's favorable/unfavorable rating is 47 percent/29 percent, while Allen's is a similar 45 percent/28 percent.

The Senate matchup closely tracks with the presidential race in the key swing state. President Obama trails former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 45 percent to 44 percent. But Obama leads businessman Herman Cain, 45 percent to 43 percent, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 47 percent to 42 percent.

Obama's approval rating has improved somewhat, up from 40 percent in September to 45 percent now. But he remains underwater: 52 percent of voters disapprove of the job he is doing, slightly better than the 54 percent who disapproved last month.

Among a subsample of Republicans, Cain has pulled into a tie with Romney: The two candidates are deadlocked at 21 percent. Perry is at only 11 percent, less than half of the 25 percent he drew in the previous Quinnipiac poll last month.

"The race among Virginia Republicans remains far, far from settled," said Quinnipiac University Polling Institute Assistant Director Peter Brown.

"Romney's support remains relatively stable while other candidates rise and fall around him," Brown added.