WASHINGTON - Pennsylvania voters are unhappy the U.S. Senate shot down Pat Toomey's bid to expand gun background checks, but are pleased he tried.
Slightly more than 50 percent of Pennsylvania's voters have a more favorable view of the senator since he signed on as the lead Republican co-sponsor on stronger background checks legislation.
Twelve percent have a less favorable opinion now, and 32 percent say it doesn't change their views of the federal lawmaker from Lehigh County, according to a poll released Friday by Quinnipiac University.
Mr. Toomey's stance made 70 percent of Democrats, 40 percent of Republicans and 52 percent of independents view him more favorably.
It also seems to have given him an overall "bounce."
Mr. Toomey's overall job approval, 48 percent, is at its highest ever in the Quinnipiac surveys. Last month, it was 43 percent. Mr. Toomey is up for re-election in 2016, a presidential election year. Typically, presidential election years are more difficult for Republicans in Pennsylvania, where Democrats enjoy a majority among registered voters.
Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support Mr. Toomey's proposal to expand background checks on firearms sales at gun shows and over the Internet, the poll shows, with 69 percent in strong support and 16 percent somewhat supporting it.
Additionally, 34 percent of Pennsylvanians polled said they were "angry" that the Senate voted down the measure, and 36 percent were "dissatisfied" with the Senate's vote.
"Pennsylvania voters ⦠by wide, sometimes overwhelming margins" still want action, said Tim Malloy, assistant director of Quinnipiac polling. "Toomey gains ground with both parties by calling for stiffer background checks for prospective gun owners."
Many lawmakers who voted against Mr. Toomey's amendment cited a disproportionate number of calls to their offices telling them to vote "no." Close to one in five state voters said they telephoned, wrote or emailed a public official about gun control. The poll did not ask their positions on the issue.
Though supportive, Pennsylvanians are not optimistic that the background checks measure will become law. While 32 percent say it will, 60 percent say it will never get through Congress.
Neither does Mr. Toomey. With rumblings that Democrats may be trying again to garner the votes to pass it, Mr. Toomey reiterated Friday that he believes the Senate has spoken affirmatively.
"My own view is very simple: The Senate has had its vote. We've seen the outcome of that vote. I am not aware of any reason to believe that if we had the vote again that we'd have a different outcome," Mr. Toomey said in a conference call with reporters.
The poll was conducted from April 19 through Wednesday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. Quinnipiac, in Hamden, Conn., surveyed 1,235 registered Pennsylvania voters.