Just a day before voters cast their ballots, a new poll out by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling for the Pennsylvania 12th District predicts that the special election for the late Representative John Murtha’s House seat is going to come down to the wire, and voters are saying they’re unhappy with the status quo in Washington.
“It looks like this will be an extremely close race on Tuesday night,” says Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “With both parties very unpopular in the district it will be difficult for either to claim much of a mandate based on the results.”
The poll surveys 831 likely voters and finds Republican Tim Burns is leading Democrat Mark Critz 48 – 47 percent, with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.
“If Burns does pull out the victory on Tuesday night it will be more because of a continuing gap in interest between Democratic and Republican voters in the off year election than anything else,” said Debnam.
Debnam also notes, “This race is not an example of people who voted for Obama who are now unhappy with him and voting Republican.”
“Critz is actually winning over more McCain voters (14%) than Burns is Obama voters (12%).
The poll also found some numbers that should could be bad news for politicians inside the Capital Beltway. It shows that politicians in leadership positions on both sides of the aisle aren’t high on anyone’s list in this race.
Fifty-five percent of voters in the district disapprove of President Obama and 63 percent have an unfavorable opinion of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. However, Republicans don’t fare much better in the district with 60 percent of voters expressing a negative opinion of congressional Republicans and 63 percent say the GOP ran the country poorly under President George W. Bush.
Approve or disapprove of President Barack Obama’s job performance?
55% …. Disapprove
35% …. Approve
Have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi?
63% …. Unfavorable
23% …. Favorable
Approve or Disapprove of the job Democrats are doing in Congress?
60% …. Disapprove
29% …. Approve
Approve of Disapprove of the job Republicans are doing in Congress?
60% …. Disapprove
20% …. Approve