Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney is the clear favorite in Virginia, though Texas Gov. Rick Perry would fare nearly as well in a hypothetical head-to-head with President Obama.

A new survey from Christopher Newport University and the Richmond Times- Dispatch shows Romney is Virginia’s first choice among Republican candidates with an overwhelming 48 percent of the vote. His support is significantly greater than in a recent Quinnipiac University poll that showed Romney tied with businessman Herman Cain.