GOP hopeful Pat Toomey holds an 8-point lead over Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak in the battle for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, according to polling released Wednesday morning by Rasmussen Reports.

Toomey, a Republican activist and former Congressman, leads 49 percent to Sestak’s 41 percent among 500 likely voters questioned Sept. 13. The margin of error was 4 points.

That’s a slightly larger lead than the 48 percent to 42 percent reported by Rasmussen late last month.

The data suggest that President Barack Obama may be a drag on Sestak. While he won Pennsylvania with 55 percent of the vote in 2008, just 47 percent of respondents approved of his overall job performance in the new poll; 51 percent disapproved.

But Toomey also enjoys higher favorability ratings than his Democratic opponent.

Fifty-seven percent of Pennsylvania voters view the GOP pick favorably, while 33 percent view him unfavorably. Sestak has a 47 percent favorable rating and a 42 percent unfavorable rating.