Related

• Political and campaign coverage, including multimedia, resources, endorsements, maps and more

roanoke.com/politics

• Gubernatorial race coverage and state, local and national political stories

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. -- The nation is watching to see whether Democrats can win the governor's race and other statewide offices Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Jim Webb told campaign workers at a rally Saturday.

Electing Creigh Deeds as governor and voting in other Democrats is important "to make sure the rest of the country understands we believe in the validity of what we're doing," Webb told about 100 supporters in Southwest Virginia.

In Fredericksburg, Deeds' opponent, Bob McDonnell, and the rest of the Republican statewide ticket warned supporters not to become complacent because of their large lead in the polls.

McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and attorney general candidate Sen. Ken Cuccinelli told more than 100 supporters to not take the lead for granted and to urge their friends, neighbors and fellow church members to go to the polls.

Recent polls have shown all three GOP candidates leading their Democratic opponents by comfortable margins.

A new poll published Saturday showed Bolling and Cuccinelli with double-digit leads.

The survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research for several Virginia newspapers showed Bolling ahead of Democrat Jody Wagner 47 percent to 34 percent, with 19 percent undecided. Cuccinelli led Steve Shannon 47 percent to 32 percent, with 22 percent undecided.

The survey of 625 registered voters likely to cast ballots was conducted Wednesday and Thursday. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

"Polls don't elect people. You elect people at the polls," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told Republicans at the Fredericksburg rally. "It doesn't matter who somebody's for, they've got to vote for it to matter."

Barbour heads the Republican Governors Association, which has contributed $4.5 million to the GOP races in Virginia this year.

Cuccinelli predicted a Republican sweep on Tuesday, holding up a broom with a placard reading "McBollinelli," a combination of the candidates' names. But he said they needed the voters to make that happen.

"We're not taking anything for granted," he said. "We haven't won anything yet."

Meanwhile, Deeds appeared at the Christiansburg rally with U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, and Gov. Tim Kaine, as well as Wagner and Shannon. Another prominent Democrat, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, was home with the flu.

Deeds noted his roots in the region and summarized his campaign promises on jobs, education and transportation, but focused on urging campaign workers to cast a wide net in getting out the vote.

"If all you can bring out is 10, that's not enough," Deeds said. He urged supporters to talk to co-workers, fellow churchgoers and even people they see at the grocery store.

"Let's be frank. The other side is tired of losing," Deeds said. "They're tired of losing in Virginia, and they're pulling out all the stops."

Democrats have won the past two governor's races in Virginia, and Barack Obama last year became the first Democrat to carry the state in a presidential race since 1964.

Ken Oliver, 45, of Alexandria brought his wife and children to Fredericksburg to their favorite ice cream shop and happened upon the rally. The youngsters, 11-year-old Garvin and 7-year-old Archie, attended a McCain-Palin rally last year and thought it was exciting, so the family stopped in at the Republican headquarters to see McDonnell.

Oliver said his family likes McDonnell not only because of his values, but because he's talking about what's on everyone's minds: the economy and jobs.

"Even though it's a state race, you know it has national implications, too," he said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates traditionally spend the final weekend before the election barnstorming Southwest Virginia, but Deeds was making only three stops in the region Saturday before heading to the state's population centers. Later Saturday, he was going to Leesburg in Northern Virginia and then Richmond. On Sunday, he planned to be in Hampton Roads.

"We need to be smart about these last few days," Deeds said before the rally. "We need to cover all the bases."

McDonnell also planned a stop in Leesburg at a Halloween parade Saturday night before heading to Hampton Roads on Sunday.

He stressed to supporters the need to put up one last sign, make one last phone call and send one more e-mail, and then to head to the polls.

"The message is out there and those people know that we stand for jobs and opportunity and roads and energy and lower taxes," McDonnell said after the rally. "Now it's just reminding everybody of that message, but most importantly, getting people out to vote.

"All that matters is 13 hours on Nov. 3."