Specter, Sestak Race Tightens: Senator Barely Leads In Poll

A new poll from Rasmussen Reports shows Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) barley leading his Democratic primary challenger, Rep. Joe Sestak, in one of the most highly anticipated races of the election season.

Rasmussen's survey of likely voters finds that Specter currently leads Sestak 46% to 42%, with a ±3% margin of error. The four-point margin shows that the highly-watched race is tightening: polls showed Specter ahead Sestak by 13 points in August, and by 19 points in June.

Despite Specter's campaign support from both President Obama and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D), Sestak continues to inch up in polls.

In general election match-ups, Rasmussen finds Specter behind Republican candidate former Rep. Pat Toomey, 40% to 45%. After serving as a Republican for 30 years, Specter switched political parties in April after polls found the senior Senator trailing Toomey by 21 points. Surveys show Sestak narrowly ahead of former representative Toomey, 38% to 37%.

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[Marlyn]

Have Pennsylvanians forgotten that Arlen Specter was the author of the SINGLE BULLET THEORY put forward by the Warren Commission as the official finding of how JFK was killed?

The Warren Commission had to come up with a SINGLE GUNMAN because otherwise it would be a conspiracy and then they would have to investigate.

Arlen Specter was just a staffer back then, but he made a name for himself by dreaming up a LIE.

DON'T VOTE FOR SPECTER.

[HLL]

I remember Specter's disdain and condescension toward the brave Anita Hill in the hideous Clarence Thomas hearings: I didn't trust him then and don't trust him now.

Here's a link with a few of Specter's questions to Anita Hill: http://therealspecter2010.com/areminder

Specter was also a strong supporter of Palin, for goodness sakes, which also tells you a lot about him.

It is time for a new Democratic candidate from PA, if you even buy that Specter is a Democrat, which I do not. Specter and his ilk need to be gone from congress. They are so 20th century. So out of it. So over.

[MartyJo]

Go Sestak... out with old and in with the new!!!!!

[HLL]

A-men.

[Querent]

Sestak will win this seat handily, in spite of President Obama's support for Specter. Let's hope that when that happens, President Obama will learn something about the relative importance of the issues as opposed to his own personal preferences.

[glomtt]

Ha, get rid of the dinos.

[BambooHarvester]

Alien Sphincter, it's over !
~

[TheIndependenceParty]

Arlen, ... we all told you you screwed up, but you wouldn't listen. It's a shame you are going down in ignominy, but that was your choice all along, when you supported Bush, and stood ready to blow off the unions, and acquiesced to throwing out Habeas Corpus.

Time to go, sir!

[jsgaetano]

Maybe Specter can join the Joe Lieberman Party when he loses the Dem primary!

[Angela Kortz Funke]

Well, I bow to Specter and other long time members of Congress, and I might add that those who rise to the challenge when history calls should be given a few extra years, but, and this is a big but, when you get to the point where if you lay down, flat on your back and close your eyes, that passer's by freeze or take a second look at you because he looks like he could be in a coffin as in "hey the guy looks like the make-up artist has just put a pat of fresh cherry rouge on his cheeks and his lips and powder on his face to make him presentable for all the mourners, (which will certainly want to pay respect), then - he may want to retire so as to pay respect to those people he needs to pay respect to while he is still alive. Simply put, a graceful bow to the next Democrat may be in order. A long order, that might be, but changes NEED to be made and they probably will come sooner if the men and women who became very comfortable in their honorable seats, just move over, and make room for those that have to live long into the future with the consequences of the last 29 years from both parties mistakes. The hemming and hawing of the current congress is a good example makeing me want to pull my hair out.

[RTIII]

You seem to forget that it was Arlen, as member of the Warren Commission, who devised the in.sane idea that a single bu//et pierced JFK, stopped in mid-air, backed up, and then struck Connaly (sp?) at a different trajectory - the so-called "magic bu//et" theory - which is how they avoided concluding that Ray did not act alone and that there was by definition a con.spirac­y.

Yeah, THAT Arlen.

I don't give him the nod of any respect beyond that he's human, even if barely.
.

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

You might be interested in this post. I attended the Berks County Annual Dinner where Specter spoke.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-the-nerd-ferraro/rubber-chickens-in-readin_b_311089.html

[carolinecantoo]

Thanks for the link. Interesting.

[dRwOOD]

DITTO

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

thanks

[MED1025]

The Admiral is my congressional rep and his consitutent services have been excellent. His office is available to constituents 7 days per week and he attends or sends a rep to many community group meetings and veterans service organization meetings.

He understands what PA voters want because he makes himself available to us. Pat Club for Growth Toomey couldn't care less about the voters. There's plenty of time between now and the election, but think that Joe Sestak is only going to pull ahead.

[TheIndependenceParty]

Same here and amen! There is a reason he blew Curt Weldon out in his initial election. This is simply a redux!

[MaryanneAZ]

I'm obviously an Arizonan, but I'm ALL in for Sestak. I have donated several times. It matters to ME who is in the UNITED STATES Senate. These 100 Senators vote on entirely too much that matters to my life and that of my son's future life for me to sit idly by while an interloper GOP takes a Dem seat. Not. Going. To. Happen. I'll be donating again to help Sestak win. Sorry, President Obama, this is one area where I disagree with you.

[dRwOOD]

Thakns for your support from waaay over yonder

[avchavis]

Good. I'd like to see Sestak win.

[dagnew]

Me, too!

[sherbug]

Why don't these old geysers want to retire?

[MaryanneAZ]

Can you say narcissistic personality disorder? How about EGO!!! These old geyers are entirely too full of themselves and the power they wield. Put a fork in him, Specter is done!

[kid5rivers2]

21st-Century America: No Country For Old Men, Especially Of The Buzzard Type.

[Coinyer101]

Spectre needs to go. We need real dems and progressives, not centrist do-nothings! We got enough of them to deal with, as it is. Anyone who stumps fer Spectre, is goin' on my 'shipt' list......­,