A majority of Pennsylvania voters trust Lt. Gov. John Fetterman more than his opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz on a number of key issues, according to a new poll examining the high-profile Senate race in the state.
About 45% of respondents said they trusted Fetterman on jobs, the economy, and cost-of-living issues, while Oz trailed with 36%, according to a Monmouth University poll. The poll marked an increase for Fetterman compared to last month, when 41% said they trusted him on the economy.
“The economy is an issue that has generally helped Republicans in national polling, but Oz has not been able to capitalize on it,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
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On abortion, which 44% of Democratic voters listed as their top concern for the midterm elections, Fetterman received 48% support in the trust category, while his opponent only received 29%. In June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which gave states the power to determine restrictions on abortion without any federal constitutional limitations.
Fetterman was also more trusted than Oz on crime, with the Democratic candidate receiving 45% and Oz getting 38%.
A majority of the respondents in the poll, 55%, have an unfavorable view of President Joe Biden. For likely independent voters, the level of disapproval of the president was even higher at 66%.
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Monmouth University said the poll was conducted by telephone from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3, with 610 Pennsylvania registered voters. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points for the full sample.
Oz has recently gained ground on Fetterman in the election polls, with the Democratic candidate leading by just 6 points and some polls showing the race to be within the margin of error. The race between the two has now been labeled as a “toss-up,” according to the Cook Political Report.
The two candidates are competing for Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) seat, who is retiring at the end of his term. For Republicans to gain control of the Senate, the party will have to get a net gain of one seat in the midterm elections.
