Q Poll: Specter, Toomey Deadlocked
Despite switching parties to gain advantage in '10, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) has lost his lead over likely GOP challenger Pat Toomey, according to a survey released today by Quinnipiac Univ.
The Q poll shows the candidates deadlocked in a general election contest, with 45% for Specter and 44% for Toomey, the ex-pres. of the conservative Club for Growth. Perhaps even more surprisingly, voters said, 49% to 40%, that Specter, elected in '80 as a GOPer, does not deserve another term.
The upside for Specter is that he has a solid 55% to 23% lead in the Dem primary over Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), who has yet to formally declare that he's in the contest but has given every indication he'll run.
Specter's advantage over Toomey has steadily eroded over the last few months. A 5/4 poll showed him leading, 53% to 33%, but by the end of the month, a 5/28 poll indicated Specter's advantage had halved, 46% to 37% -- perhaps as the public processed that his party switch represented a blatant attempt to survive politically in a state that backed Dem Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) by 11 points in '08.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)