Pennsylvania governor's race tightening, but Corbett still leads
HARRISBURG — Republican Tom Corbett's lead over Democrat Dan Onorato is narrowing in the Pennsylvania governor's race, but Corbett has twice as much campaign cash for the final 10 days of the race, records show.
Corbett, the state attorney general from Shaler, holds a 5 percentage-point lead over Onorato, the Allegheny County executive from Brighton Heights, according to a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute survey released Friday.
Corbett leads Onorato 49 percent to 44 percent among likely voters, with 7 percent undecided, the poll found. In a Sept. 21 Quinnipiac poll, Corbett led 54 percent to 39 percent. This month's poll surveyed 1,046 likely voters Oct. 13-17; the margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points
"We anticipated it would be a close race. Republicans don't win statewide races in Pennsylvania by 14 points or 15 points. We always understood that," said Corbett, speaking at the Boilermakers Local 154 union hall in Beechview.
"Our campaign is confident we will have the money and volunteers we need to deliver Dan's message of jobs and reform," said Kevin Kinross, Onorato's campaign manager. Onorato used the poll in an Internet fundraising appeal.
Campaign finance records show Corbett raised almost twice as much money as Onorato from Sept. 14 to Oct. 18: $6.2 million, compared to Onorato's $3.3 million.
Their reports filed with the state showed Corbett's cash balance at $5.3 million and Onorato with a little more than $2 million.
That means Corbett could buy more television ads during the campaign's waning days, said Bridgett Jeffrey, who teachers political science at Edinboro University and is a Democratic Party activist in Erie.
About 75 percent of campaign money goes for ads, primarily on TV, said Chris Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. Corbett's fundraising edge "is a good way to secure a lead," Borick said.
The Quinnipiac poll found that statewide "Democrats are showing more interest in voting" as the election nears, said Peter Brown, assistant director of the polling institute.
The campaigns clashed over an Onorato ad saying Corbett might cut programs for senior citizens, such as Meals on Wheels, senior centers and home health care.
"Onorato makes a number of baseless, irresponsible attacks in his newest ad, without a source to be found because his claims are completely fabricated," said Brian Nutt, Corbett's campaign manager. It's an attempt to scare older voters, Nutt said.
Asked what facts exist for the ad, Brian Herman, an Onorato spokesman, produced a quote attributed to Corbett in a June article in the Harrisburg Patriot-News saying he supported "across-the-board" budget cuts.
The state faces a potential $4 billion deficit next year.
In recent debates, Corbett said he would increase money for early childhood education.
In the three gubernatorial debates, Onorato did not specify cuts of any magnitude, other than cutting the Legislature's spending by 20 percent. The Legislature spends about $300 million in a $28 billion budget, and getting lawmakers to cut their accounts would be challenging.
The Onorato ad is a "reach," but it is the result of Corbett's not specifying cuts. "Both candidates have been very vague about where they'd cut," Borick said.
About 40 Democrats, including state Rep. Peter Daley of California and former Steelers linebacker Robin Cole, joined Corbett for a rally at the Boilermakers hall.
Daley said he decided "a long time ago" to back Corbett. He said the attorney general's investigations of legislative corruption steered leaders away from overtly rewarding or punishing rank-and-file lawmakers based on partisan loyalty.
"Tom Corbett has, by his actions, changed the way the Legislature does business. I think that's remarkable," said Daley, a legislator since 1983.
Additional Information:
Closing the gap
Recent gubernatorial polls show Republican Tom Corbett's lead over Democrat Dan Onorato narrowing:
10/17 to 10/18 -- Public Policy Polling: Corbett, 48 percent; Onorato, 46 percent
10/13 to 10/17 -- Quinnipiac: Corbett, 49 percent; Onorato, 44 percent
10/12 -- Rasmussen: Corbett, 54 percent; Onorato, 40 percent
9/23 to 9/26 -- Susquehanna Polling & Research: Corbett, 46 percent; Onorato, 40 percent
9/15 to 9/19 -- Quinnipiac: Corbett, 54 percent; Onorato, 39 percent
