Our good friends at Q-Pac
have surveyed the Commonwealth again. Here's your lede:
Pennsylvania voters give Gov. Ed. Rendell a 46 - 38 percent approval rating, one of his lowest marks ever, but he still holds double-digit leads over any likely Republican challenger in his bid for reelection next year, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
The Governor started the year with a 51 - 33 percent approval in a February 17 poll by the independent Quinnipiac University, and has dropped slightly in every poll since.
The Governor deserves to be reelected, voters say 48 - 41 percent, consistent with other poll findings this year. He still leads several possible Republican challengers:
- 47 - 34 percent over former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton;
- 47 - 34 percent over former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann;
- 52 - 26 percent over State Sen. Jeff Piccola;
- 53 - 23 percent over Jim Panyard, former head of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association.
A Zogby poll earlier this week had Rendell up only 44-42 on Swann, with wider leaders on the others.
Pissed as heck at the pay raise, only 26% of PA'ns approve of the job the state legislature is doing; 60% oppose. (A year ago, it was 46/33 the other way.) These numbers pretty well match what voters think they should do with the pay raise - 61% say repeal, 22% scale it down, 11% keep it.
Only 39% of PA'ns have a favorable view of Gov. Rendell; 29% unfavorable.