April 7, 2016

Poll: Wolf, Kane, Obama Underwater, Toomey Tops All Democrats In Senate Race

Pennsylvania voters disapprove 52 - 35 percent of the job Gov. Tom Wolf is doing, his worst approval rating since he took office in January, 2015, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.
Gov. Wolf's approval rating is worse than Gov. Corbett's at about the same point in his administration.
In March of 2012, a Quinnipiac poll found Pennsylvania voters gave Gov. Tom Corbett a 41 - 41 percent job approval rating, down from a 47 - 34 percent approval rating December 8.
"It didn't take long for the honeymoon to come crashing in on Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf whose darling status with folks who threw out Gov. Tom Corbett has faded," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
Pennsylvania voters also disapprove 51 - 25 percent of the job Attorney General Kathleen Kane is doing and say 47 - 32 percent that she should resign.
Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania tops either of the two Democrats challenging him for reelection, but falls short of the 50 percent threshold.
In a rematch of their 2010 Senate race, Sen. Toomey leads former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak 47 - 39 percent. Toomey bests Katie McGinty by a similar 47 - 38 percent margin.
In the Toomey-Sestak matchup, independent voters are divided with 40 percent for the Republican and 39 percent for the Democrat. Toomey leads McGinty 41 - 34 percent among independent voters.
Pennsylvania voters approve 50 - 29 percent of the job Toomey is doing and give him a 45 - 24 percent favorability rating.
The Democrats have an identity problem as 51 percent don't know enough about Sestak to form an opinion of him and 64 percent don't know enough about McGinty.
"U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey can take some comfort in the lead he has on his two Democratic challengers, but it's a lot easier to be the frontrunner when voters don't know much about the challengers," said Malloy.
U.S. Sen. Robert Casey Jr. gets a 45 - 24 percent approval rating. President Obama's Approval and Supreme Court
Pennsylvania voters give President Barack Obama a 53 - 44 percent disapproval rating, consistent with his negative ratings in the Keystone State over the last two years.
Voters approve 48 - 30 percent of the president's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court and say 57 - 37 percent the U.S. Senate should consider Garland's nomination now, rather than wait until there is a new president.
Supporting Senate action are Democrats 83 - 13 percent and independent voters 58 - 36 percent. Republicans are opposed 60 - 34 percent.
A copy of the poll results is available online.