Vincent Gray has opened a commanding lead over incumbent Adrian Fenty in the race for mayor, according to a Washington Post poll released this morning. The Post’s poll shows Gray with a 17-point advantage among likely voters. Among all Democrats, Gray leads 49-36, a 13-point advantage. Voters are supporting Gray, though at the same time they indicate they generally approve of the job Fenty has done, and feel the city is on the right track.

Nikita Stewart and Jon Cohen have the full write-up online today, which provides a fascinating look at the state of the race. It’s worth the read, and shows how the numbers have changed for Fenty since 2006.

The biggest storyline to is that in general, Democrats are pleased with what has been done during Fenty’s first term. A full 67% of those surveyed believe that Fenty has brought needed change to the District. 59% say that the city is on the right track. 47% of voters approve of Fenty’s performance.

Fenty gets into trouble with the so-called personality gap. Only 45% surveyed believe Fenty understands their problems, and only 39% agree that the mayor is honest and trustworthy. Gray, on the other hand, scores very well on these points. 61% say he understands their problems, and the same percentage find him to be honest and trustworthy.