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Specter Trails Toomey In Senate Race
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| President Barack Obama and Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., pause atop the stairs from Air Force One upon their arrival at Philadelphia International Airport on Sept. 15. Sen. Specter trails Pa. Republican Senate Candidate Pat Toomey in a new Quinnipiac University poll. (Joseph Kaczmarek/Associated Press) |
By BRADLEY VASOLI, The Bulletin
Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey now leads incumbent Democrat Arlen Specter 43 percent to 42 percent among the state’s registered voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.
Mr. Specter switched parties from Republican to Democratic in April, explaining that he had no interest in staying in a party that would not nominate him for reelection, as it seemed Republicans would not have done. The senator now faces a primary challenge from U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7th, of Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
Mr. Specter has the backing of President Barack Obama, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell and Pennsylvania’s junior senator, Democrat Bob Casey. But the president’s waning popularity might not bolster the senior senator. Only 49 percent of Pennsylvania’s registered voters approve of Mr. Obama while 42 percent disapprove, according to Thursday’s poll.
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute Assistant Director Peter Brown said in a statement that although much time remains for Mr. Specter to build a sizeable advantage over Mr. Toomey, the early indications for the senator are less than ideal.
“Specter has more than enough time to reverse his fortunes, but being tied with the relatively unknown Toomey is evidence that this election has become a referendum on Specter.”
Quinnipiac’s poll suggests that although Mr. Specter faces a major challenge in terms of getting reelected in 2010, he has not seen a very fierce primary rival in Mr. Sestak as of yet. The senator leads the congressman 44 percent to 25 percent.
Mr. Brown said that while the two Democrats appear to be weathering a tough campaign period with Mr. Toomey showing impressive early polling leads over both. But the Republican former Lehigh Valley-area congressman who unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Specter in 2004 has plenty of work to do to acquire strong name recognition statewide.
“Pat Toomey is pretty much a blank slate to half of the state’s voters and that is both his opportunity and his potential Achilles Heel,” Mr. Brown said. “Given his own shortcomings in the public eye, the only way for Sen. Specter to defeat Toomey is to convince that huge group of voters that they won’t like what they find out about Toomey. There will be a race to define Pat Toomey to Pennsylvanians and that race will likely determine who wins the Senate seat.”
Bradley Vasoli can be reached at bvasoli@thebulletin.us
Mr. Specter switched parties from Republican to Democratic in April, explaining that he had no interest in staying in a party that would not nominate him for reelection, as it seemed Republicans would not have done. The senator now faces a primary challenge from U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7th, of Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
Mr. Specter has the backing of President Barack Obama, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell and Pennsylvania’s junior senator, Democrat Bob Casey. But the president’s waning popularity might not bolster the senior senator. Only 49 percent of Pennsylvania’s registered voters approve of Mr. Obama while 42 percent disapprove, according to Thursday’s poll.
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute Assistant Director Peter Brown said in a statement that although much time remains for Mr. Specter to build a sizeable advantage over Mr. Toomey, the early indications for the senator are less than ideal.
“Specter has more than enough time to reverse his fortunes, but being tied with the relatively unknown Toomey is evidence that this election has become a referendum on Specter.”
Quinnipiac’s poll suggests that although Mr. Specter faces a major challenge in terms of getting reelected in 2010, he has not seen a very fierce primary rival in Mr. Sestak as of yet. The senator leads the congressman 44 percent to 25 percent.
Mr. Brown said that while the two Democrats appear to be weathering a tough campaign period with Mr. Toomey showing impressive early polling leads over both. But the Republican former Lehigh Valley-area congressman who unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Specter in 2004 has plenty of work to do to acquire strong name recognition statewide.
“Pat Toomey is pretty much a blank slate to half of the state’s voters and that is both his opportunity and his potential Achilles Heel,” Mr. Brown said. “Given his own shortcomings in the public eye, the only way for Sen. Specter to defeat Toomey is to convince that huge group of voters that they won’t like what they find out about Toomey. There will be a race to define Pat Toomey to Pennsylvanians and that race will likely determine who wins the Senate seat.”
Bradley Vasoli can be reached at bvasoli@thebulletin.us
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