Sen. Toomey Leads Sestak And McGinty By 8 And 9 Points Respectively

Stacy French  |   April 7, 2016

Poll: Sen. Pat Toomey Leads Democratic Challengers for Pa. Senate Seat

Image: Poll: Sen. Pat Toomey Leads Democratic Challengers for Pa. Senate Seat
(AP)

By Sandy Fitzgerald in Newsmax   |   Thursday, 07 Apr 2016 07:28 AM

Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey is leading two Democratic challengers in a new Quinnipiac University poll, but still has not reached the 50 percent threshold.

In the poll, released on Thursday:

  • Toomey, 47 percent;
  • Former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (his challenger in 2010) 39 percent;
  • Katie McGinty, 38 percent.

The 1,737 Pennsylvania voters surveyed for the poll gave Toomey a 50-29 percent job approval rating and a 45-24 percent favorability rating.
Meanwhile, the Democratic candidates had identity issues in the poll, as 51 percent said they did not know enough about Sestak to form an opinion, and 64 percent said the same of McGinty.
Pennsylvanians also voiced their disapproval of many key figures, including Gov. Tom Wolf, but gave Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Casey Jr. a 45-24 percent approval rating.
Disapproval ratings included:

  • President Barack Obama, 53-44 percent;
  • Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, 51-25 percent;

Voters also approved, by 48-30 percent, Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court and said by 57-37 percent the Senate should consider the nomination now, rather than waiting.
The poll carries a margin of error of  2.4 percentage points.