In an internal study sponsored by the campaign, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01) has a significant lead over the Democratic candidate Ashley Ehasz in the race for the 1st Congressional District seat in southeastern Pennsylvania.
The three-term Republican incumbent has a 14-point lead (54%-40%) over Ehasz, an Army combat veteran and former Apache helicopter pilot. That figure also includes a 56%-33% lead among independents.
Fitzpatrick had a 15-point lead (51-36%) over Ehasz in June’s internal survey conducted by Grassroots Targeting.
According to a Public Opinion Strategies (POS) poll, Ehasz is struggling to gain support from voters in the district, as the survey found that nearly two-thirds (67%) of respondents said they had never heard of her. Those who knew her gave her a positive rating of plus-14 (19-5%), while Fitzpatrick received a slightly higher rating of plus-16 (50-34%).
Reproductive rights have been a key policy position for the challenger, but POS found that more than 7 in 10 respondents (73%) support Fitzpatrick’s position to maintain Pennsylvania’s current law, which allows abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Those surveyed by POS learned that Ehasz wants to repeal that statute and allow abortion at any time during a woman’s pregnancy. Less than a quarter of respondents (23%) agreed with that statement.
On her website, Ehasz said she would support HR 3755, the Women’s Health Protection Act, which seeks to codify federal regulations Roe v. WadeUnder the legislation, states would be able to regulate abortions after viability outside the womb is achieved, which is generally considered to be 24 to 28 weeks after the patient’s last menstrual period.
“Brian Fitzpatrick is distorting polls, publishing results that are not trustworthy, and once again lying about his anti-abortion record,” said Victoria Casarrubias, a spokeswoman for Ehasz’s campaign. “Like the vast majority of PA-01 voters, Ashley believes these decisions should be made by a woman and her doctor, not politicians. If anyone in this race is interested in repealing Pennsylvania’s state law, it’s Brian Fitzpatrick, who has already voted for a statewide abortion ban.”
The pollster concluded his note to the campaign by saying that “with the Fitzpatrick campaign still sitting on more than $3 million in cash, it seems to be going to be very difficult for Ehasz to advance enough to make this race competitive.”
The survey, conducted in the field Sept. 7-9, was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (POS). The company conducted a telephone survey of 400 registered voters in the district and has a margin of error of +/-4.0.
