Barletta says internal poll shows him ahead of Kanjorski

U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski: Getty Images PhotoSeeking to bolster his case for replacing longtime U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Nanticoke), Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta today said a poll commissioned by his campaign showed him leading the incumbent in the 11th Congressional District.

Barletta's campaign did not release the full results of the poll which his campaign commissioned from Susquehanna Polling and Research in Harrisburg. But in a brief polling memo shared with reporters, pollsters told Barletta that his strong name recognition and positive image combined with low approval ratings for Kanjorski positioned the challenger to defeat Kanjorski in November.

"We are very encouraged by these numbers," Barletta campaign manager Vince Galko said in a statement. "They mirror the response Mayor Barletta receives when he travels throughout the district. For a 24-year incumbent to have a 39-percent re-elect number is a clear indication that the voters of the 11th Congressional District are tired of Mr. Kanjorski's antics and want real change. After 24 years representing a district, the incumbent should be loved, not overwhelmingly rejected."

In a survey of 400 likely general election voters, 47 percent said they would definitely or probably vote for Barletta, compared to 42 percent for Kanjorski. But with a margin of error of almost 5 percent, the true political picture could be less clear.

There are troubling signs in the poll for Kanjorski, who has been hammered recently by Republicans over comments he made about the Democratic promises to end the war in Iraq.

Of the voters randomly surveyed from March 27-29, 45 percent said a new person should hold Kanjorski's office, while only 39 percent said he should be reelected. Fifteen percent were undecided.

Pollsters also said that with U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) likely to do better than U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) among district voters in the presidential race, Republican support was likely to trickle down-ballot to Barletta's benefit.

A Kanjorski campaign spokesman said the campaign does not comment on polls

Kanjorski's district is a mix of urban centers like Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and more rural areas, making it one of the few Democratic-held seats that Republicans can realistically hope to take back in November's election. But it remains a difficult race for the GOP. Kanjorski is being challenged by Republican Lou Barletta, the mayor of Hazleton who has made headlines in recent years for pushing local ordinances against illegal immigrants. Barletta lost an election for the seat in 2002.