WASHINGTON -- Pennsylvania's Senate race begins in a dead heat, with incumbent Republican Pat Toomey potentially hurt by his staunch opposition to President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, according to a poll out Wednesday.
Two weeks after the Democratic primary, the Quinnipiac University survey found 45 percent of Pennsylvania voters backing Toomey against 44 percent for Democrat Katie McGinty in one of the most closely-watched races in the country. The contest is one of a handful that could determine control of the Senate.
Democrats have been hammering Toomey over his opposition to Garland, staging protests and running television ads painting him as an obstructionist. Republicans have argued that few voters will make electoral decisions based on the issue, and that it's equally important to conservatives that Toomey help stop a nominee who would change the balance of the Supreme Court.
But this poll says the intensity of feeling favors Democrats.
It found that 30 percent of voters are less likely to support Toomey because of his stand, while 18 percent are more likely to support him.
Overall, Pennsylvania voters support Garland's nomination 52-29, the poll found, including 57-37 among independents, who will be critical to Toomey in a state where Democrats hold a roughly 1 million-person edge in voter registration. And though 59 percent of Republicans oppose Garland's nomination, 81 percent of Democrats support the pick.
Toomey met with Garland, the chief of the D.C. court of appeals, last month, but said he emerged even more sure of his opposition.
"I have known for five-and-a-half years that this was going to be a very competitive election," Toomey told reporters on a conference call Wednesday morning, saying he would continue to push legislation that helps Pennsylvanians.
A McGinty spokeswoman said the poll "confirms that Katie is in a strong position" to win. "What's clear is Pennsylvania voters have had enough of Pat Toomey putting Wall Street first and playing politics with the Supreme Court," said Sabrina Singh.
Toomey spokesman Ted Kwong fired back that voters "are just now starting to learn about how much of a liberal political insider Katie McGinty is."
McGinty is vying to become Pennsylvania's first woman senator, and the poll found a significant split in gender and race: men back Toomey 53-36; McGinty won women 51-38. White voters support the Republican 51 - 40, but non-white voters support the Democrat 65 - 18.
The poll, conducted from April 27 - May 8, surveyed 1,077 Pennsylvania voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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