Specter leads Sestak in new Senate race poll

A new poll out today shows Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter’s leading in the Democratic Senate primary, but facing a tough general election battle if he gets that far.
The latest Franklin and Marshall College poll shows that among nearly 450 registered Democrats, Senator Arlen Specter leads Congressman Joe Sestak 30 percent – to 13 percent in the primary.

A new poll out today shows Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter’s leading in the Democratic Senate primary, but facing a tough general election battle if he gets that far. [audio:100126LFPOLL.mp3]

The latest Franklin and Marshall College poll shows that among nearly 450 registered Democrats, Senator Arlen Specter leads Congressman Joe Sestak 30 percent – to 13 percent in the primary.

Pollster Terry Madonna

Madonna: For the most part Senator Specter is better known and he has a 29 year record of representing the voters of the state and despite his party switch from Republican to Democrat, now for the first time running in a Democratic primary, that switch certainly has not caused Senator Specter to lose support.

The poll show Specter faces tougher odds if he makes it past the primary. In possible general election match-ups among registered voters, Specter is neck and neck with Republican front runner Pat Toomey. Among likely voters, Toomey leads Specter by 14 points and Sestak by more than 20 points.