2016 Republican Presidential Polls Show Donald Trump, John Kasich Neck and Neck in Pennsylvania; Hillary Clinton Commanding Lead Over Bernie Sanders

Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Ohio Governor John Kasich are locked in a tight, back and forth tug of war for control of the upcoming GOP primary in Pennsylvania.

A new Franklin and Marshall College poll shows Trump narrowly leading Kasich 33 percent to 30 percent, well within the poll's margin of error, with roughly a month before Republican voters there go to the polls.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz lags behind by more than double-digits at just 20 percent.

Kasich's Strong Showing Comes After Early Turmoil

Kasich's strong showing in the Pennsylvania comes after he was forced to endure a challenge to his eligibility to even be on the ballot. He submitted just over the minimum number of signatures required to be on the state's ballot and a challenge from a Marco Rubio supporter had sought to discount enough of the signatures to have him booted off the official rostrum of candidates.

The challenge was only withdrawn after Rubio dropped out of the race after suffering what many characterized as a humiliating loss to Trump in his home state of Florida.

Kasich's rising status in Pennsylvania will undoubtedly come as a worrisome development for Cruz supporters, who, up until now, have tirelessly sought to have him exit the race so that their candidate could face off against Trump in a one on one scenario.

Clinton out to Comfortable Lead

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders 53 percent to 28 percent.

Pollsters noted only eight percent of those polled were in the 18-34 demographic Sanders has dominated throughout election season, while 4-in-10 of them were from the 65 or older crowd Clinton has equally dominated.

Thus far, Trump has won 18 states to a combined 12 for all his other GOP rivals. He also has amassed nearly 800 of the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the Republican nomination outright.