The reelection campaign of Republican Senator Rick Santorum has been a rocky road so far, and the latest Rasmussen Reports election poll of the Pennsylvania race for U.S. Senate offers only minor comfort at best.

Now trailing Democrat Bob Casey by fifteen percentage points (52% to 37%), Santorum has gained a few points since last month. Of course, gaining a few points after lagging by twenty-three points is hardly an accomplishment for an incumbent to brag about. The overall trend remains very unhappy for Santorum: he has reached a 40% level of support just once in our last eight polls of the race. Casey has topped 50% in all but one of those polls.

Many observers believe the election is tantamount to a referendum on the often-controversial incumbent, especially given Casey's fairly conservative stance on social issues like abortion and gun control. Santorum has been trying to make headway using the issue of illegal immigration, chastising Casey for being too lax about it.

Senator Santorum is viewed favorably by 46% of likely Pennsylvania voters, unfavorably by 48%. Casey is viewed favorably by 55%, unfavorably by 36%. Santorum is viewed "very" unfavorably by 28%, Casey by 13%.

A lopsided plurality of voters in the Keystone State would prefer to see a Democrat in the Oval Office in 2009. Voters here tend to look more favorably on the Democratic prospects we asked about than voters have in other states.

Still, the two Republican frontrunners still enjoy slightly higher favorables than the Democrat’s frontrunners. Hillary Clinton is viewed favorably by 53%, Al Gore by 57%, John McCain by 59%, Rudy Giuliani by 64%. McCain and Giuliani are viewed "very" unfavorably by many fewer respondents than Clinton and Gore are.

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