GOP poll: Pa. is a dead heat

In contrast to other recent surveys, a new poll commissioned by the Republican State Committee shows that Mitt Romney trails in the state by just 1 percentage point, party chairman Robert A. Gleason Jr. said Thursday.

A number of recent public polls have shown President Obama leading in Pennsylvania by either double digits or close to it. A Muhlenberg College poll released Tuesday had Obama up by 9 points, 50-41. An Inquirer poll last week had the president up by 11 points, 50 to 39.

But Gleason said his party's own polling, conducted Sept. 15-17, showed the race a statistical dead heat, with Obama at 48 percent and Romney at 47 percent. Just 3 percent of voters were found to be undecided.

The survey of 800 likely voters was conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research. Gleason said it had an error margin of plus or minus 3.45 percentage points.