Tom Corbett is the clear frontrunner in the race to be Pennsylvania’s next governor, a new poll shows.
Corbett, the state’s two-term attorney general, had a 38-12 percent lead over U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released this morning.
In the five-way race for the Democratic nomination, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato leads the field with 14 percent of the vote while none of the others – Auditor General Jack Wagner, Philadelphia businessman Tom Knox, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel and Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty -- crack double-digits.
Corbett easily beats the three top-polling Democrats – Onorato, Wagner, and Hoeffel – in head-to-head matchups, the poll found. And none of the Democrats are well-known statewide.
“All of the candidates are so unknown to most Democrats that it is anyone’s guess what will happen,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “One thing is for sure; with five months until the May 18, 2010 primary, none of the candidates is even close to separating themselves from the pack.”
The poll also fond that Gov. Rendell, who is barred from seeking a third term, continues to suffer from a dismal approval rating. Only 43 percent said they approve of the way he is handling the job. Still, that’s much better than the legislature. Only one if four gave a favorable job-approval rating to the General Assembly.
In a non-campaign question, six out of 10 of those polled said they supported the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes in Pennsylvania.
The poll surveyed 1,381 Pennsylvania voters between Dec. 8 and Monday and has a margin of error of 2.6 percent.
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Corbett is going after corruption, and not just before a primary. I've been pleased to see he spares neither friend nor enemy in charging abuses and going for systemic reform. We can't reform Philly if the state legislation required to reform Philly steps on the toes of "traditions" in the state legislature.— CleanupPhilly- Corbett is going to make cuts, and the state revenue picture probably will not have recovered as well as the Democrats like to prognosticate and as the press dutifully reports without any clear economic indications spaced over time to suggest a trend. Corbett is going to sign the GOP budget on time, because the cost of gamesmanship in not doing so only would hurt his party, an expensive lesson for the Democrats this go round.— CleanupPhilly
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- Why is Corbett being allowed to use the job he's repeatedly failed at to get the job he's not qualified for? It looks like this "Bonus Gate" affair and the pace of it's prosecution are being timed to help get Corbett free press for his election bid for Governor. We're paying for him and his staff to run for Governor...and then if he fails, he's still drawing a pay check, etc as a lame State's Attorney General! Why are we and our legislature letting him to get away with that? What about the Parole Board Corruption he's been told about, with evidence, for years now? What about the "Rendell Murders"? What about his repeated betrayal of public trust? Who investigates the Attorney General? Who does he answer to... by his own repeated lack of action... it's not the good, decent families of Pennsylvania! Why isn't the U.S. Attorney General (Eric Holder) investigating Tom Corbett!?— John Law
- Never mess with the man who holds the key's to the cell.— FJG JR
