A new poll shows Bob McDonnell (pictured), the Republican candidate for governor of Virginia, with a14-point lead over Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds, despite a graduate thesis McDonnell wrote in 1989 that criticized gay people as detrimental to families.

The poll, from WVEC-TV, The Virginian-Pilot, and Christopher Newport University, put support for McDonnell among likely voters at 44.7%, compared to 30.9% for Deeds. Some 21.9% of voters remained undecided.

McDonnell took the lead despite news of a thesis he wrote at Regent University in 1989 that urged the government to “restrain, punish, and deter” homosexuality and discourage working mothers for the sake of family values.

A majority of likely voters -- 66.7% -- said that the thesis would not affect their vote for or against McDonnell.

Click here to follow Advocate on Twitter.