Pennsylvania Democrats are crushing Republican candidates in two critical statewide races, a new poll found.
A Franklin and Marshall poll released Thursday found Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman leading Republican Mehmet Oz by 13 points in the race for an open Senate seat. The same poll showed Democrat Josh Shapiro, the current state attorney general, ahead of Republican Doug Mastriano by 11 points in the race for governor.
The bad news for Republicans follows an Emerson College poll that found Mr. Fetterman with a 4-point lead and Mr. Shapiro with a 3-point lead over their respective GOP opponents. Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Mastriano are vying to replace Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who is barred from running for a third term.
The Oz-Fetterman battle is among a handful of contests that will determine which party will control the Senate in 2023.
Mr. Oz, a celebrity doctor and former talk show host, has struggled to gain traction with Pennsylvania voters despite former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. He’s suffered from social media missteps and constant hammering from Mr. Fetterman, who has worked to portray Mr. Oz as a rich carpetbagger.
Last week, Mr. Fetterman attacked Mr. Oz on social media for owning 10 houses, including a $48 million mansion in Palm Beach.
SEE ALSO: John Fetterman holds a 4-point lead over Mehmet Oz in the Pa. Senate race, poll shows
Mr. Oz has attacked Mr. Fetterman for poor eating habits and for living with his parents until he was 50.
The Oz campaign said if Mr. Fetterman had eaten more vegetables, he wouldn’t have had a stroke in May.
The Franklin and Marshall poll found the race closer when they included those who are leaning toward a candidate. Mr. Fetterman’s lead shrunk to 9 points (45% to 36%) over Mr. Oz.
The poll found Mr. Fetterman won a larger share of Democrats (76%) than Mr. Oz garnered from Republicans (62%), and Mr. Fetterman was found leading among independents by a margin of 34% to 17%.
Mr. Fetterman also led Mr. Oz 52% to 28% among voters looking for a candidate who best understands the concerns of Pennsylvanians.
The Emerson poll found the suburbs to be a battleground for the two candidates.
“Suburban voters are the battleground for this election, they are split, 47% support Fetterman and 47% support Oz,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
Three out of four urban voters support Mr. Fetterman, while 59% of rural voters back Mr. Oz.
Meanwhile, 39% of Pennsylvania voters in the Emerson poll approve of the job President Biden is doing, while 57% disapprove.
The survey found President Donald Trump leads Mr. Biden among Pennsylvania voters, 47% to 42%, in a hypothetical 2024 matchup, while 8% would support someone else and 3% are undecided.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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