A new poll shows the Republican candidates leading in Pennsylvania's election contests for U.S Senate and governor.
The survey by Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University released Monday showed former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey with an apparent lead over the Democratic nominee, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak -- 50 percent to 45 percent among likely voters.
"The Senate race has been neck-and-neck most of the way with Toomey slightly ahead. It looks like that is how the candidates will cross the finish line," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
The poll indicated Republican Tom Corbett, the state attorney general, has a solid lead in the governor's race with 52 percent and his Democratic foe Dan Onorato, the elected executive of Allegheny County, at 42 percent.
"It is difficult to see how Dan Onorato becomes Pennsylvania's next governor," said Brown.
"The candidates each hold their party bases pretty well, each getting more than 80 percent of the votes of their own party members," said Brown. "But it is independent voters, as is often the case in close elections, that swings the balance of power."
The telephone survey of 1,244 likely voters was conducted over the five-day period ending Saturday.
The sampling error margin is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
