Corbett Primary Victory Assured; Reelection Status Murky

LEMOYNE, Pa., April 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican Governor Tom Corbett appears assured of a primary victory over his relatively unknown opponent but stands a less likely chance of being reelected in the fall, according to a poll released by Keystone Analytics®.

Corbett's name recognition among likely general election voters stands at 32 percent favorable and 52 percent unfavorable. His primary election opponent, Bob Guzzardi, stands at only 2 percent favorable, while 87 percent of Pennsylvania Republican voters have never even heard of him. When asked if Corbett deserves to be reelected, 68 percent stated that it's time for someone new.

Among the Democrats running to challenge Corbett in November, Tom Wolf is the clear frontrunner with 48 percent of likely voters giving him a favorable rating and only 11 percent deeming him unfavorable. In terms of favorable name recognition, Wolf leads his closest contenders, Rob McCord and Allyson Schwartz, by 19 points and 25 points respectively among all voters surveyed, and by 25 points each among registered Democrats. In a head-to-head general election matchup, 51 percent of voters surveyed said they would cast their ballot for the Democratic candidate, while 33 percent would support Corbett. Only 15 percent were undecided.

On the subject of issues in the news, 48 percent of likely voters support the idea of eliminating property taxes and replacing them with an increase in sales and personal income tax, 73 percent support imposing a severance tax on companies that extract natural gas in Pennsylvania, 46 percent support allowing same-sex couples to marry, 51 percent support making marijuana legal for medical use, and 58 percent support allowing private companies to sell alcohol in the Commonwealth.

Results are based on a live telephone survey of 503 likely general election voters and includes a +/-4.38 percent margin of error. Interviews were conducted on April 21-22, 2014. Full survey summary is available at www.keystone-analytics.com.

Keystone Analytics® is a Pennsylvania-based business and research firm that provides a cohesive approach to a wide range of services, including market and constituent surveys and analysis, conducting issues management, and developing and choreographing image campaigns.

SOURCE Keystone Analytics