Democrats are losing ground in the polls for two key Senate races in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, offering a glimmer of hope to Republicans who are seeking to win control of the upper chamber in November.
Despite once holding a double-digit lead over Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman’s lead has shrunk to a low single-digit lead in at least three public polls released over the last week. The race to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) has become one of the most high-profile Senate races of the midterm cycle as the winner is likely to help determine which party gains control of Congress.
DEMOCRATS EYE PENNSYLVANIA AS FETTERMAN HOLDS DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER OZ: POLL
Fetterman has been knocked on some of his more progressive criminal justice policies in recent weeks, with Republicans accusing the Democratic lieutenant governor of being too soft on crime. In his position as the chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, the number of inmates who were released early from their life sentences has increased significantly, prompting Republicans to criticize him for contributing to a rise in crime.
Fetterman’s campaign has defended his policies, explaining in a new ad that he “gave a second chance to those who deserve it: nonviolent offenders, marijuana users. … John Fetterman has the courage to do what’s right.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R) in Wisconsin has pulled ahead of Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes in the polls, leading by 5 points in a new AARP poll. Other polls have found similar leads, with a recent Fox News survey finding that 44% of Wisconsin voters consider Barnes to be “too extreme.”
Barnes has also been a target of soft-on-crime attacks, with Republicans targeting his proposal to eliminate cash bail nationally.
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“This race is neck and neck despite Ron Johnson and his dark-money donors spending millions on a smear campaign against Mandela Barnes,” Barnes spokesman Maddy McDaniel said in a statement. “The GOP’s fear-mongering playbook failed them last cycle and it will fail again this cycle.”
The recent polling shows a sign of strength for Republicans in the two battleground states as the GOP seeks to gain control of Congress next month. If the party is able to hold both Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in November, Republicans only need to flip one Senate seat from Democrats in order to win the majority.
