Chris Matthews Holds Sen. Specter Under 50 in Poll

Sen. Arlen Spector (R-Pa.) leads television personality Chris Matthews in a hypothetical 2010 matchup, a new poll showed Tuesday, though Specter was held well below the 50 percent threshold, indicating an incumbent’s vulnerability.

A Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey released Tuesday showed Specter leading with 40 percent to Matthews’s 27 percent in a head-to-head race. Matthews has been rumored to be mulling a run for Senate from his native Pennsylvania as a Democrat in 2010.

PPP touted silver lining for each candidate in the poll. 30 percent of Democrats said they would support Specter, respondents said, though he is only carrying 50 percent of the Republican vote, a potential boon for Matthews.

The poll, conducted between October 31 and November 2, has a 2.5 percent margin of error.

–Michael O’Brien