The new Rasmussen poll of Pennsylvania Democrats shows Sen. Arlen Specter continuing to lead his primary challenger, Rep. Joe Sestak.
The numbers: Specter 51%, Sestak 36%. Last month, Specter led by slightly more, at 53%-32%, but the month before that was closer at 48%-35%. Specter switched parties last year, after 28 years as a Republican Senator, because his support for the stimulus bill had served to guarantee his defeat in the GOP primary. Sestak has been attempting to parlay distrust of Specter among Democrats into a successful primary challenge, but the incumbent has been holding on.
From the pollster’s analysis: “Specter’s support has ranged from 46% and 53% in the earlier polls. Incumbents who fall below 50% on a consistent basis are viewed as vulnerable, but this is the second month in a row where he’s crossed that critical line. In the five previous Rasmussen Reports polls on the race, Sestak’s support has ranged from 32% to 42%. He was most competitive in October when the numbers showed Specter with 46% of the vote and Sestak at 42%.”
