Toomey has big money lead in Pennsylvania Senate race

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has a big early money advantage over his likely Democratic opponent in the Pennsylvania Senate race heading into 2016.

{mosads}Toomey is one of only four Senate candidates to raise more than $2 million in the first quarter of the year. He took in $2.1 million in the first three months of 2015, bringing his total cash on hand to a strong $7.3 million.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Tuesday that former Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), who lost narrowly to Toomey in 2010 and is seeking a rematch, raised only $312,000 in the first quarter of 2015. Sestak has $1.7 million on hand.

Toomey also begins his 2016 reelection efforts with a big lead in the polls.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released earlier this month, Toomey won the support of 48 percent of those polled, compared to 35 percent for Sestak.

Sestak suffers from low name recognition in the state. Sixty-one percent of Pennsylvania voters said they don’t know enough about him to have an opinion. He’s been on a 422-mile trek across the state meeting with voters in an attempt to change that.

In 2010, Sestak ousted former Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in a primary before narrowly losing to Toomey, who took 51 percent of the vote to Sestak’s 49 percent.