Poll: 'Unknown' Democrat Beats Sitting Gov. Corbett by 10 Points

With the Pennsylvania gubernatorial election more than a year away, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz — who tops a field of largely unknown Democratic challengers — leads Gov. Tom Corbett 45 percent to 35 percent, according to a new survey.

The Quinnipiac University poll, released Friday, found Schwartz ahead of Corbett 51 percent to 28 percent among women, although the governor has a slight lead, 42 percent to 39 percent, among men.

"Election Day is 17 months away, but Schwartz is in a strong position to become Pennsylvania's first female governor," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the university's polling institute.

Quinnipiac calls Schwartz the "best-known of unknown Dems" who might challenge Corbett. The poll said more than seven of 10 of the registered voters polled said they too little about her to form an opinion. Her main Democratic challenger, state Treasurer Rob McCord, is even less- known, with 85 percent saying they don't know enough.

In a look at a possible 2016 presidential match-up, the Quinnipiac poll found that in Pennsylvania former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads former GOP Sen. Rick Santorum in his home state by 53 percent to 36 percent.