Obama up 6 points in Pennsylvania, poll finds

A new poll finds President Obama maintaining his lead over rival Mitt Romney in the key state of Pennsylvania.

Obama has the support of 46 percent of Pennsylvania voters to Romney’s 40 percent in the latest Quinnipiac University poll.

{mosads}The results, though, show a slight slip for Obama from a 47-to-39 percent edge in the same survey taken in early May.

Obama is holding his lead over Romney thanks to strong support among female and independent voters.

Women back the president 51 to 36 percent, while independents break for Obama 43 percent to 35.

The poll mirrors others finding Obama more popular, but Romney holding an advantage on the most important issue to voters: the economy.

Forty-five percent say Romney would create more jobs to 43 percent for Obama. Forty-nine percent say Romney would do a better job on the economy overall, with 41 percent backing Obama’s policies. 

“Pennsylvanians may like the president more than they like Mitt Romney, but the warm and fuzzy feeling gives way to the cold hard truth of a still-shaky economy,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a statement.

A poll released last week from Franklin & Marshall College also showed Obama with a lead in Pennsylvania, topping Romney by 12 points, 48 percent to 36.

In Pennsylvania’s Senate race, Quinnipiac finds Democratic incumbent Bob Casey Jr. leading GOP challenger Tom Smith 51 percent to 32. Voters approve of Casey’s job performance by 51 to 29 percent.

The Quinnipiac survey was conducted from June 5 to 10 and has a 3 percent margin of error.