CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A poll commissioned by U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall's campaign shows the longtime Democratic incumbent with a big lead over his Republican challenger.

According to the poll by Anzalone-Lizst Research, Rahall holds a 62 percent to 34 percent lead over state legislator Rick Snuffer of Raleigh County in the race for the 3rd Congressional District seat.

Anzalone-Liszt Research, which has offices in Washington, D.C. and Birmingham, Ala., said Rahall "is strongly positioned to win re-election. Rahall is very popular, with a favorable-to-unfavorable ratio of over 2:1, and shows incredibly strong branding as a fighter for local coal jobs," according to a news release from the polling firm.

"The fundamentally Democratic nature of this district also works in Rahall's favor. With sufficient resources to fund a robust paid communication campaign, Nick Rahall is extremely well positioned to win re-election," Jeff Liszt and Zac McCrary of Anzalone-Lizst said in the release.

The poll indicated Rahall was leading ahead in every gender, age, and geographic subgroup, as well as among independent voters.

The new poll also found Rahall's "personal popularity" was 64 percent "favorable" and 30 percent "unfavorable" -- a fairly high rating for an incumbent.

Registered Democrats hold a 24 percent advantage in the 3rd District, where 58 percent of voters identify themselves as Democrats, 34 percent as Republicans and 8 percent as independents, according to the polling firm.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is also popular in the 3rd District, according to the poll. Manchin leads his race against Morgantown businessman John Raese by a margin of 72 percent to 21 percent in the poll.

"Especially in a polarizing Presidential election environment, Manchin's presence on the ballot is an asset for West Virginia Democrats," Anzalone-Liszt stated in its Friday press release.