A new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) in a dead heat with Republican former Rep. Pat Toomey, whose challenge against Specter in the Republican primary triggered Specter’s party switch a few months ago.
The numbers: Specter 45%, Toomey 44%, with a ±2.9% margin of error. Back in May, shortly after he’d become a Democrat, Specter had a much better lead of 46%-37%. When Toomey is pitted against Specter’s Dem primary challenger, Rep. Joe Sestak, Toomey has a lead of 39%-35%, with high undecideds because both candidates lack heavy name recognition.
In the Democratic primary, Specter currently leads Sestak by 55%-23%.
Only 40% of voters say Specter deserves another term, to 49% who say he does not. From the pollster’s analysis: “Voters see Sen. Specter much less favorably than they once did and are net negative about giving him a sixth term in the U.S. Senate. Independent voters have shifted narrowly to Toomey 46 – 42 percent and say 53 – 35 percent that Specter does not deserve reelection.”
