Election 2010: Poll Calls Dem Primary For Gov "3-way Toss-up"

The latest Quinnipiac University Poll shows Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato holding a slim lead among likely Democratic voters in the May 18 primary election for governor while state Attorney General Tom Corbett holds a solid 58-7 percent lead among likely Republican voters over state Rep. Sam Rohrer.

The pollsters call the Democratic primary a "three-way toss-up" with Onorato pulling in 20 percent, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel at 15 percent and state Auditor General Jack Wagner at 13 percent.  State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, a late entry in the race, had 5 percent.

The poll also found that nearly half of the voters were undecided and seven out of 10 who supported one candidate in the Democratic primary said they could change their minds.  A majority of those voters knew nothing about the candidates. "With that level of anonymity, anything is possible," the pollster's said in this release. "This is clearly a race that is yet to be decided."

Which will make campaign contributions to pay for state-wide television commercials all the more important.  Click here to read our story today about the latest campaign finance reports, which shows Onorato will ahead with $6.8 million in the bank. Williams has $1.5 million in the bank, more than Wagner and Hoeffel combined.  Onorato started airing campaign commercials last week.  Williams will start today.  Wagner and Hoeffel would not say when they planned to take to the airwaves.