Poll: Republican leading in Pa. gov's race

A Quinnipiac Poll shows Democrat Dan Onorato, left, lagging behind Republican Tom Corbett, in Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race.
USA TODAY 

In another sign of the Democratic party's declining brand appeal with swing voters, a Quinnipiac Poll out today shows Republican nominee Tom Corbett with a six percentage point lead heading into the general election campaign for governor in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State is a perennial battleground that President Obama won with 54% of the vote in 2008.

Voters favor Corbett, 44%-37%, over Democrat Dan Onorato, the poll reports.

Part of that could be due to Corbett's higher name ID: As Pennsylvania's attorney general, he's well known statewide. Onorato is the Allegheny County Executive, the chief elected officer in the county that includes Pittsburgh.

Even so, the poll includes some information that hints at deeper problems for the Democrat:

•Independent voters favor Corbett, 44%-29%.
•Outgoing Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, a key ally of Onorato's, is underwater with voters. Half the poll's respondents said they disapproved of his policies and 55% said they do not want the next governor to continue them.
•The poll also showed that Pennsylvanians, by a margin of 52%-27%, like Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants. They oppose the Obama administration's lawsuit to block the law by 60%-27%.

As attorney general, it will be up to Corbett to decide if Pennsylvania joins a legal effort against the Obama administration lawsuit. Nils Fredericksen, in the attorney general's office, says a decision could come soon.