Virginia's status as a battleground state seems to have solidified, after results of a new poll were released Thursday, showing the presidential race between President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at a dead heat of 44-44 percent.

The new poll, by Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, shows Obama's lead in the state shrinking, according to previous polls by the university, which showed Obama leading by 47 to 42 percent in June and 50 to 42 percent in March.

"Virginia voters are sharply split along gender and political lines about the presidential race. The two candidates equally hold their own political bases and are splitting the key independent vote down the middle," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a release.

The poll shows that women favor Obama (46 to 41 percent) and men favor Romney (46 to 42 percent).

Obama campaigned in Virginia last weekend, including a stop in Fairfax County. 

From July 10 - 16, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,673 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.