Toomey Up 50-43 in PA Senate Race

Doesn't look like the deeply unpopular Barack Obama's visit to Pennsylvania has done any good for Joe Sestak, and GOP candidate Pat Toomey had moved out to a 50-43 lead according to a Quinnipiac poll released this morning.

Republican Pat Toomey has hit the magic 50 percent mark as he leads Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak 50 - 43 percent in the race for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters released today.

Pennsylvania likely voters disapprove 56 - 40 percent of the job President Barack Obama is doing, the independent Quinnipiac University survey, conducted by live interviewers, finds. This first general election survey of Pennsylvania likely voters in this election cycle cannot be compared to earlier surveys of registered voters.

By a 52 - 43 percent margin, voters want a U.S. Senator who opposes rather than supports the president's policies and say 46 - 35 percent they want Republicans, rather than Democrats, to control the U.S. Senate after the November ballots are counted.

Toomey is winning 86 - 9 percent among Republicans and losing 87 - 7 percent among Democrats. He holds a commanding 54 - 36 percent lead among independent voters, which provides his current lead overall.

There is a very large gender gap in the Senate race, with Toomey ahead among male likely voters 58 - 37 percent and trailing among women likely voters 51 - 40 percent. The gender gap on the president's job performance is even wider with women approving 50 - 43 percent, while men disapprove by more than two-to-one, 66 - 31 percent.

No wonder Obama is reduced to sending his wife out to campaign.