Christina Hartman, running in Pennsylvania's 16th District, has closed a double-digit gap with her Republican opponent Lloyd Smucker, now trailing him 42 to 45 percent in the latest GBA strategies poll conducted for her campaign. Hartman entered the race in this conservative district with far less name recognition than Smucker, a well-known state legislator, but GBA finds that she has moved from a 26-point deficit among Independent voters in July to a 7-point advantage now.
Underscoring the partisan trends in the district, there is a clear enthusiasm gap between the parties, with Democrats 6 points more likely to say they will definitely vote next month. As a result, Hartman trails by just 1 point (44 to 45 percent) among these most likely voters. [...]
The bulk of Hartman’s gains in this race have come in Lancaster County, where both candidates have been on the air for three weeks now and where Republican special interests just announced they will spend $400,000 in an effort to halt Hartman’s momentum in this race. She currently enjoys a double-digit lead in the Berks and Chester County portions of the district (both in the Philadelphia market) but has more room to grow in these Democratic-leaning areas.
Hartman has come out of nowhere to make this race not only one worth watching, but also a bellwether for the election. A good night for Hartman would portend a good night for Hillary—and a good night for Democrats overall.
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