Toomey has a 48 percent approval rating, his highest ever, the poll finds. Poll: Toomey's numbers rise

Sen. Pat Toomey — the Pennsylvania Republican who helped lead the failed bipartisan background check proposal — has climbed to a record high approval rating in the Keystone State, according to a new poll on Friday.

Toomey has a 48 percent approval, his highest ever, and a 30 percent disapproval, the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute showed.


By a 54 percent to 12 percent margin, voters think more favorably of him because he co-sponsored with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) the failed Senate legislation that they say would have improved the federal background check system for firearms.

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Quinnipiac notes that 34 percent of Pennsylvania voters approve of his handling on gun control, with a 29 percent disapproval on the issue; the rest are unsure.

Slightly more Democrats than Republicans approve of his handling of gun control. Thirty-eight percent of Democrats approve, with 25 percent of Dems disapproving and 37 percent unsure. Meanwhile, 33 percent of Republicans approve, 33 percent of Republicans disapprove and 34 percent aren’t sure. Among independents, 35 percent approve, 26 percent disapprove and 38 percent aren’t sure.

Among Democrats, he has a 41 percent approval and 34 percent disapproval; among Republicans, a 58 percent approval and 25 percent disapproval; and among independents a 49 percent approval and a 28 percent disapproval.

Sixty-nine percent of Pennsylvania voters strongly support the failed legislation, 16 percent somewhat support it, 5 percent are somewhat opposed and 7 percent are strongly opposed, according to the poll.

Quinnipiac surveyed 1,235 registered Pennsylvania voters between April 19 and April 24, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.