Barletta poll has challenger leading Kanjorski by 8

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta is leading U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Nanticoke) by 8 points a month before Election Day, according to an internal Barletta campaign poll.

The two are vying for the 11th Congressional District seat, in what is considered Pennsylvania's most competitive House race. The survey of 397 voters, conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research, closely matches the results of an independent Franklin & Marshall poll last month.

In the Barletta poll, the challenger edges the longtime incumbent 47 percent to 39 percent, with 11 percent undecided. The poll also shows Kanjorski, considered by some to be the most vulnerable Democrat in Congress, having low approval ratings, with only 32 percent of respondents saying he deserves reelection.

Kanjorski campaign spokesman Ed Mitchell said: "We intend to win the only poll that matters--the one on Election Day."