READ FULL STORY HEREArlen Specter has opened a considerable lead over Joe Sestak in their race for the Democratic nomination for Senate. The long-time Senator Specter is also in a dead-head with Republican Pat Toomey according to two new state polls released by Quinnipiac University.
Up nine-points from a poll in early-October Specter now draws 53% of the Democratic vote for Senate with Joe Sestak falling five-points to just 30%. In a potential general election match up the consistently close race being reported by Quinnipiac is now at a dead-heat. Specter and Toomey both draw 44% support from Pennsylvania voters. Although he struggles against Specter in his hope to wrestle away the Democratic Party nomination Joe Sestak meanwhile remains competitive with Pat Toomey. Currently the Seventh District Congressman trails by a margin of just 40-35%.
Arlen Specter continues to reap the benefits of strong name recognition with Pennsylvania voters. Whereas 70% of voters either have not heard or do not know enough about Joe Sestak and 55% remain in the dark regarding Pat Toomey just nine-percent have no opinion of Senator Specter. Currently Specter enjoys a narrow plurality of job approval (47%) from Pennsylvanians. Only 43% however have a favorable opinion of him against 45% holding an unfavorable view and Quinnipiac finds that just 38% of voters think Specter deserves to be reelected.
In the race for Governor Dan Onorato is the leading candidate in a scattered and utterly wide open field of Democrats seeking the party nomination in 2010. Onorato is the only candidate who pulls in double-digit support (14%), with Joe Hoeffel (8%), Jack Wagner (7%), Chris Doherty (6%) and Tom Knox (5%) lingering behind. 59% of Pennsylvania voters are undecided of their support for any candidate at this time making early polling on the race fairly irrelevant on the Democratic side. Marijuana
As for the Republican Party a 47% plurality have too not made up their mind on whom to support. That said state Attorney General Tom Corbett continues to garner front-runner status over Jim Gerlach by a current margin of 38-12%. Corbett’s lead in a hypothetical general election over the top-three Democratic hopefuls is more notable. He holds a 45-30% over Dan Onorato, 43-33% on Jack Wagner and out distances Joe Hoeffel by a 46-30%. Corbett’s strength is particularly noticeable with independent voters and those living in the more rural areas of Pennsylvania.
In other polling Governor Ed Rendell sits with a 43% job approval rating against 49% who disapprove. Although still in the negatives these figures are an improvement from the 39-53% margin he endured in July and better than the 39-59% split being reported by Rasmussen. The Pennsylvania state legislature meanwhile has bottomed out again with just a quarter (25%) of voters approving of their job performance and 64% disapproving – their worst totals to date. President Obama continues to struggle in the Keystone State meanwhile. For the second consecutive poll just 49% of Pennsylvania voters approve of his job performance. Obama’s negatives are also nearly as high now currently standing at 45%.
As part of Quinnipiac’s recent survey the issue of medical marijuana has also been polled on. 59% of voters approve of a proposal currently in the state legislature that would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical usage – just 35% think it to be a bad idea. Democrats (67%) and independents (61%) are most in support of the idea but even a 49% plurality of Pennsylvania Republicans think the proposal is a good idea.
PHOTO CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS / CAROLYN KASTER
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