Toomey Leads in Another Poll

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Franklin & Marshall College Poll

The 24th year of consecutive polling in Pennsylvania

Below are the highlights of the June 2015, Franklin & Marshall College Poll of registered
Pennsylvania voters. Complete results can be found at http://www.fandm.edu/politics/the-franklin-marshall-college-poll.

• More registered voters favor (49%) than oppose (37%) the state’s moratorium on carrying out the death penalty in Pennsylvania. Close to half of voters (47%) believe that life in prison without parole is a more appropriate sentence for murder than is the death penalty (41%).

• A large majority (87%) of registered voters favor the legalization of medical marijuana in the state. Forty-percent of voters think marijuana should be legalized while 54% oppose. Support for legalization of marijuana and medical marijuana has both increased over the past ten years.

• Registered voters’ top budget priorities include increasing state education funding (30%) and local property tax reform (25%) and these priorities have changed little since March.

• A majority (58%) of registered voters support Governor Tom Wolf’s budget plan, a proportion that is unchanged since March.

• Seven in ten (70%) registered voters believe that it should be illegal to discriminate in employment or housing practices based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

• Nearly two in five (39%) registered voters believe Governor Wolf is doing an "excellent" or "good" job as governor, the same as in March.

• Republican U.S. Senator Toomey currently leads Democrat Joe Sestak by a four-point margin, 35% to 31%, although many voters (34%) are still undecided about this race. Senator Toomey has a larger eleven-point lead over Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, 34% to 23%.

• One in three registered voters (32%) has an unfavorable opinion of Kathleen Kane with only 15% having a favorable opinion.
This survey reflects interviews with 556 Pennsylvania registered voters conducted by the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College from June 8-14, 2015 (sample error of +/- 4.1% percentage points).

The Franklin & Marshall College Poll is produced in conjunction with the Philadelphia Daily News, WGAL-TV (South Central PA), Pittsburgh Tribune Review, WTAE-TV (Pittsburgh), WPVI-TV6/ABC (Philadelphia), Times-Shamrock Newspapers, Harrisburg Patriot-News/PennLive, LNP media group, and the Reading Eagle. It may be used in whole or in part, provided any use is attributed to Franklin & Marshall College.

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