Poll: Santorum has Big Lead in Pennsylvania
Fresh off of primary victories in Alabama and Mississippi, a new poll shows former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum virtually running away with the Keystone State. Today’s Quinnipiac Poll of Pennsylvania Republicans shows Santorum netting 36% support compared to Mitt Romney’s 22%. In a head-to-head matchup, Santorum clobbers Romney in Pennsylvania 53 – 32%. “Pennsylvania Republicans are turning to their native son, former Sen. Rick Santorum,” says pollster Tim Malloy. But it’s in stark contrast to the December Quinnipiac Poll that showed Santorum with mere 9% support in PA.
On the same day as the release of the Q-Poll, the Romney campaign announced that former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge is throwing his support behind the former Massachusetts governor.
Pennsylvania’s current Republican governor, however, remains neutral in the race. “I will certainly be active once we have the nominee at the convention and thereafter,” Gov. Tom Corbett explains. “What role I play before the primary still remains to be seen.”
Santorum has named longtime Corbett political adviser Brian Nutt as his Pennsylvania State Campaign Director. “Do not read anything into that,” Corbett says.
But Corbett does remind all Pennsylvanians to never underestimate Rick Santorum. “I think if I polled you all, he has gone much further than anybody sitting on those chairs right there ever anticipated that he would go,” Corbett told reporters who were gathered in the Governor’s Reception Room for a briefing on an upcoming trade mission.
