New polls: Pa. Democrats lag in Senate, gubernatorial races

    Virtual ties last week between Pat Toomey and Joe Sestak, as well as Tom Corbett and Dan Onorato, have given way to a Republican edge, according to two new polls.

    A Democratic surge in the Pennsylvania Senate and gubernatorial races has stalled, according to two new polls. But one survey shows the races still very tight.

    Recent polls have shown Democrat Joe Sestak in a dead heat with Republican Pat Toomey. But a Muhlenberg College poll shows Toomey up by eight points among likely voters, and Franklin and Marshall College poll director Terry Madonna said his new survey gives Toomey a seven-point edge

    “That lead is, I think, largely predicated on the fact that Joe Sestak has to deal with the unpopularity of the president in Pennsylvania,” said Madonna.

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    The polls found Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato trailing Tom Corbett by even larger margins. The encouraging news for Democrats is that a new Reuters poll shows Sestak and Toomey tied, and the gubernatorial contest within six points.

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