Pa. poll gives Kerry a seven-point lead

HARRISBURG (AP) -- Sen. John F. Kerry has opened a seven-point lead in the presidential race in Pennsylvania, according to a statewide poll released Thursday that gave President Bush his lowest favorability ratings of the campaign.
Democrat Kerry was preferred by 48 percent of registered voters and Republican Bush by 41 percent in a three-way race with independent candidate Ralph Nader, according to the Keystone Poll.
Nader, who is locked in a court fight over his right to be listed on the state ballot in the Nov. 2 election, was backed by 3 percent and 8 percent were undecided.
Among likely voters, Kerry was favored by 49 percent, compared with 43 percent for Bush and 2 percent for Nader.
The Keystone Poll was nearly identical to a survey of 585 likely voters released Wednesday that showed Kerry at 47 percent, Bush at 41 percent, 12 percent undecided and 1 percent favoring another candidate.
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