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LANCASTER, Pa., July 2 (UPI) -- One in four Pennsylvanians believe Gov. Tom Corbett deserves a second term, according to a poll that found him trailing Democrat Tom Wolf by 22 points. The Franklin and Marshall College Poll reported that 47 percent of those surveyed plan to vote for Wolf and 25 percent for Corbett. Another 27 percent are still undecided.
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Only 27 percent of respondents said Corbett is doing a good or excellent job, and 26 percent say he should be re-elected. Just over half, 53 percent of Republicans, say Corbett should get a second term, while 8 percent of Democrats and 16 percent of independents agree.
The one piece of good news for Corbett is that 49 percent of Republicans now say he is doing a good or excellent job -- up 11 percentage points since January. Corbett's standing with the public since he took office has consistently been lower than his predecessors, Democrat Ed Rendell and Republican Tom Ridge.
G. Terry Madonna, head of the poll, told the Philadelphia Daily News many in his party appear to have given up on the governor. The News is one of a number of news organizations across the state to partner with Franklin and Marshall in the poll.
"He's losing one in five Republicans," Madonna said. "And he's losing 2-to-1 among independents. That's not a recipe for victory."
Corbett has delayed signing a budget adopted by the Republican-controlled state legislature. Madonna said the governor needs something he can proclaim as a victory during the campaign.
The governor received the legislature's budget Monday evening, 90 minutes before the end of the fiscal year. As of Wednesday, it was still unsigned.
"The budget I received tonight makes significant investments in our common priorities of education, jobs, and human services," the governor said in a statement Monday. "It does not address all the difficult choices that still need to be made. It leaves pensions, one of the largest expenses to the commonwealth and our school districts, on the table."
