New polls in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin show Democrat John Fetterman leading in Pennsylvania, and Mandela Barnes statistically tied with Sen. Ron Johnson in Wisconsin.
CNN did both polls and reported:
In the race for retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey’s seat in Pennsylvania, Democratic state Lt. Gov. John Fetterman stands at 51% support to Republican candidate Mehmet Oz’s 45% support among likely voters, an advantage narrowly outside of the survey’s margin of error.
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But across both states, the Democratic candidate holds a broad edge among character and integrity voters: Barnes tops Johnson 56% to 41% among that group, while Fetterman outpaces Oz 65% to 29% in that group of Pennsylvania likely voters.
The hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans have spent on negative ads against Fetterman have done their job. They have driven up Fetterman’s negatives. The problem for Republicans in Pennsylvania is that Fetterman still leads Oz in favorability, rating 48%-38%.
Where Republicans could end up paying a heavy price is by letting Trump select nominees that are like himself. If character and integrity matter to voters, Republicans could be in trouble in their bid to take over the Senate. Ron Johnson has become a conspiracy Trump cultist, and Oz has shown himself to be a conman who has not been able to charm Pennsylvania voters.
Mandela Barnes has a real chance to defeat Ron Johnson. Barnes had a strong debate against Johnson and pulled no punches. Pennsylvania remains the best chance for a Democratic Senate pickup. Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Utah, and Iowa are other states where Republican-held seats could change hands.
Democrats have a path to expanding their Senate majority, but it starts with a Fetterman victory in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association