Pat Toomey, a Republican hoping to unseat newly minted Democrat Senator Arlen Specter in next year’s election, has unexpectedly drawn to a statistical dead heat with the increasingly unpopular turncoat Senator in a new poll released by Quinnipiac University.
The poll also shows that Toomey would beat Specter’s primary challenger Joe Sestak by 39% to 35% if the election were to be held today.
Following his party-switching gambit to avoid a primary challenge by Toomey, the data is devastating to Specter’s chances at reelection . The risky move, taken as the Democrat Party’s fortunes have begun to reverse in public opinion, has clearly backfired.
In all, 49% of voters now say that Specter does not “deserve” to be reelected versus 40% who say he does.
Yesterday, in a move sure to anger Pennsylvania’s legions of Democrat and Independent gun owners, Specter announced that he would be voting against the Thune Amendment to the annual defense bill. Thune’s measure is intended to guarantee nationwide concealed carry rights for Pennsylvania citizens.
“From my own experience growing up in Kansas and being District Attorney of Philadelphia, I know states need to prescribe their own rules for carrying a concealed deadly weapon. This is the essence of federalism. My vote against the Thune Amendment will not limit the constitutional rights of hunters and gun owners. Pennsylvania already recognizes concealed carry permits from 24 other states where their laws are similar.”
Kind of not the point, Arlen. For Pennsylvanians, the point would be the states that do not recognize Pennsylvania’s permits, not the other way around.
Another promising sign for Toomey in the poll results is the finding that only 10% of voters consider him “too conservative,” a charge repeatedly made against him by Specter as well as by squishes within the Republican Party.
Like That? You'll Probably Like These.
- Reuters: Toomey By 10%, Corbett By 15%
- Thune Gun Rights Amendment Fails
- NRSC Doesn’t Seem Too Keen On Toomey
- Sestak Leads Toomey By 4%
- Liberal Polling Outfit PPP: Toomey Up By 9%
