Wolf holds onto heavy lead in Democratic gubernatorial primary: poll
Updated: May. 02, 2014, 5:37 p.m. |
Published: May. 02, 2014, 4:37 p.m.
Robert J. Vickers | rvickers@pennlive.com
Democratic Gubernatorial debate in Lancaster
The four Democratic candidates for governor of Pennsylvania, state treasurer Rob McCord, former state environmental protection secretary Katie McGinty, five-term Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz and businessman Tom Wolf, attend a debate at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, May 01, 2014
(Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com)
Despite weeks of attacks by Democratic gubernatorial rivals, Tom Wolf maintains a 25 point lead over his nearest primary challenger in a Muhlenberg College poll released Thursday.
Wolf, the partially self-funded York County millionaire businessman, rocketed from obscurity to nomination frontrunner earlier this year by blanketing the state with slick campaign ads for two months without any significant counter from the other three remaining primary hopefuls.
And the new Muhlenberg poll not only shows him being favored by 38 percent of respondents, but also boasting double-digit leads over U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz's 13 percent, state Treasurer Rob McCord's 11 percent, and former state Environmental Protection Secretary Katie McGinty's 2 percent.
A Franklin & Marshall College poll conducted a month ago showed Wolf's lead over Schwartz at 26 points.
Even among the 33 percent in the poll who said they were not sure whom they were voting for in the Democratic primary, Wolf led. Some 12 percent of the undecided group said they were leaning toward him, while McCord and Schwartz both drew 4 percent. McGinty trailed with 1 percent.
Wolf, who's been assailed by Schwartz and McCord in the weeks leading up to the May 20 primary vote, also earned the highest approval rating in the poll.
Some 37 percent rated him "very favorable," and another 35 percent rated him "somewhat favorable." Another 8 percent rated him "somewhat unfavorable," or "very unfavorable," while 19 percent said they were not familiar with him enough to have an opinion.
Schwartz, the veteran Montgomery County congresswoman, ranked next highest, with 16 percent finding her "very favorable," and 33 percent saying she was "somewhat favorable." Some 8 percent said she was "somewhat unfavorable," or "very unfavorable," and 43 percent had no opinion.
Some 14 percent found McCord, also of Montgomery County, "very favorable," while 29 percent said he was "somewhat favorable." Another 16 percent found him "somewhat unfavorable," or "very unfavorable," and 42 percent had no opinion.
Meanwhile McGinty, of Chester County, has a 7 percent "very favorable" poll rating, and 21 percent "somewhat favorable" rating. Twelve percent of respondents found her "somewhat unfavorable," or "very unfavorable," and 60 percent had no opinion.
The poll respondents ranked education (28 percent), jobs (16 percent), a fracking extraction tax (12 percent), and taxes (11 percent) as the most important issues in the Democratic primary.
The live telephone interviews of 417 likely voters were conducted April 28-30, producing a poll containing a 5 percent margin of error.