Sestak Gains Slight Lead in PA
Politico reports:
Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak has cut deeply into Republican rival Pat Toomey’s lead in Pennsylvania’s competitive Senate race and now holds a 1-percentage-point edge, according to a new poll.
The survey released Tuesday by Democratic-allied Public Policy Polling found Sestak winning 46 percent of the vote to Toomey’s 45 percent support, within the 3.7 percent margin of error. That’s a stark turnaround from PPP’s survey in August, when Toomey, a former three-term congressman, held a 9-percentage-point edge.
Though it’s only the second public poll to show a significantly closer race, the results echo internal polling from both parties, which increasingly forecast a tight contest within the margin of error. That narrowing has come as Sestak’s campaign increases its TV ad buys and more voters tune into the race. A Rasmussen Reports survey released last week found Toomey still enjoying a 10-percentage-point lead.
Sestak owes his newfound strength in part to a shrinking Democratic enthusiasm gap and increasing support from both independents and members of his own party, according to the poll. Only 9 percent of the 718 likely voters surveyed were still undecided.
“This has become a toss-up race,” PPP president Dean Debnam said. “No one would have expected that a month ago, but just as he did in the primary Joe Sestak is closing strong. Whether he continues that momentum right on through Election Day or Pat Toomey can turn things back in his favor will be the ultimate determiner of who wins this race.”
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