Internal Poll Says Barletta Has Edge Over Kanjorski
| A poll commissioned by his campaign shows Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta (R) leading 13-term Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D) 56 percent to 37 percent.
The Tarrance Group surveyed 400 likely voters on July 12 and 13. Its poll has a margin of error of 4.9 percent. This is the third time Barletta has challenged Kanjorski. He lost in 2002, and in 2008 he held Kanjorski to less than 52 percent. Barletta announced his first TV ad buy earlier this week, a 30-second spot that is now airing on cable and network TV in the Scranton-Wilkes Barre market. In it, he touts his accomplishments as mayor and set himself up as someone who would take on Washington leadership: Through the end of March, Kanjorski had more than $1.1 million on hand, but an updated Federal Election Commission report isn’t yet available. Barletta adviser Vince Galko said that campaign’s report for the April-June quarter will show the team has raised more than $500,000 to date. He did not provide details about cash available for the general election. Kanjorski defeated two Democrats with 49 percent of the vote in the May 18 primary. Barletta was unopposed in the Republican primary. UPDATE Statement from Ed Mitchell, spokesman for the Kanjorski campaign: *These numbers look highly suspect to us. With such little information presented in the memo, we don’t know what was tested but not revealed. It’s hard to comment definitively on such unreliable and little data. *What we do know is that Barletta has a money problem. We’ll know more about that tomorrow, but from what Barletta has said, he’s raised less this year to date than in 2008. He’s started a three or four day, small TV buy, which is laughable and almost a waste of money. And all this is aimed at drumming up interest in a major fundraiser event he has next week and raising money among Washington special interest PACS. “Moreover, Barletta is trying to shift attention from his botched job as mayor of Hazleton where he is laying off employees, contributing to the city having the highest unemployment rate in the state. He’s raising taxes 70 percent and shipping toxic waste into the city. No wonder he wants to talk about something else. “This looks like more of two-time loser Barletta’s smoke and mirrors. Remember, in 2008, Barletta repeatedly released polls showing he was going to win. Congressman Kanjorski won. Barletta lost again.” CQ-Roll Call rates the 11th district race Leans Democratic. Check out the ratings for other House contests with our election map. |