Pennsylvania’s upcoming midterm election will be one of the most interesting in the country.
Facing a tough primary, moderate Republican Sen. Arlen Specter announced in April that he would be switching to the Democratic Party.
“Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans,” said Specter.
Specter has since seen his poll numbers fluctuate and drop.
Yesterday, a new Rasmussen Reports poll showed Specter’s lead widening in the upcoming Democratic Senate primary against Rep. Joe Sestak, who represents PA’s 7th Congressional District.
Specter now leads Sestak 53% to 32%, which is an 8 point increase to Specter’s December lead of 48% to 35%.
Specter’s big challenge, assuming he wins the Democratic primary, will be Republican Pat Toomey, who represented PA’s 15th Congressional District from 1999 to 2005.
Toomey was squashing Specter in the polls before Specter switched his political affiliation.
An October Quinnipiac University poll showed that Specter closed in on Toomey’s lead, 43% to 42%.
However, a new Rasmussen Reports poll out today shows those numbers have shifted. Toomey now leads Specter by 9 points, 49% to 40%.
Sestak is actually polling better than Specter against Toomey. Sestak trails Toomey by 8 points, 43% to 35%.
There are enough undecided voters to make each Democratic candidate’s matchup against Toomey a tossup. However, the recent Republican win in Massachusetts’ special Senate election would lead many to think that the Democratic primary winner has an uphill battle to fight.
Check back for a summary of the races to represent the 10th and 11th Congressional Districts.
