Democratic candidate John Fetterman has a 9-point lead over GOP rival Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race, according to a new Monmouth University poll released Wednesday.
About 32 percent of voters surveyed in the new poll said they would definitely vote for Fetterman in the November midterm election, compared to 23 percent who said they would definitely vote for Oz.
Additionally, about 17 percent said they would probably vote for Fetterman and 16 percent said they would probably vote for Oz.
Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said “Fetterman has the edge when you look at basic candidate preferences.”
“Oz will need to overcome his personal negatives or shift the issue picture to stay competitive,” Murray said in a statement.
The race to replace the retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R) is one of the most closely watched of the midterms, as it represents one of a handful of potential Democratic pickup opportunities nationally.
Oz, a Turkish American celebrity surgeon, is a relative newcomer to politics, while Fetterman is a former small-town mayor and currently Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor.
The Monmouth poll on Wednesday showed Fetterman has higher personal favorability ratings, with around 47 percent of voters surveyed saying they hold a favorable view of the Democrat and 42 percent saying they hold an unfavorable view.
For Oz, 36 percent of voters polled said they have a favorable view of the Trump-backed candidate, while 56 percent hold an unfavorable view.
Pennsylvania voters indicated the economy and inflation as the most important issues this election cycle, according to the poll, with 30 percent of those surveyed listing the economy as the biggest issue currently facing the U.S. and 31 percent listing inflation.
While Republicans have blasted Democrats for a 40-year-high inflation rate, 41 percent of Pennsylvania voters surveyed say they trust Fetterman on the economy compared to 36 percent who selected Oz as more trustworthy to handle the issue.
Abortion, which has become a major concern this year after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to the procedure in June, was listed as the most important issue now facing the country by 13 percent of Pennsylvania voters in the Monmouth poll.
Fetterman has said he would support federal legislation codifying abortion rights into law.
Oz clarified his position on abortion this month after the issue has recently appeared to give Democratic candidates a boost in midterm races, saying he does not support criminal penalties for doctors or patients involved in abortion procedures.
Murray, from Monmouth, said abortion is one issue that is “motivating a key group of voters who currently back” Fetterman.
“The question is whether they actually show up in November,” Murray said in a statement. “A shift in this dynamic, particularly if the underlying partisan fundamentals become more of a drag on Fetterman than they are now, can make this a much tighter race.”
The Monmouth University poll was conducted Sept. 8 to Sept. 12 among 605 Pennsylvania registered voters. The margin of error of is plus or minus 4 percentage points.