WASHINGTON (AFP) — A longtime US lawmaker from the swing state of Pennsylvania has conceded his district is "racist" but will still vote for Democratic hopeful Barack Obama, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Wednesday.
"I think Obama is going to win, but I don't think it's going to be a runaway," said John Murtha, a 17-term Democrat from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
"There's no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area," he said. "The older population is more hesitant."
In a meeting with the Post-Gazette's editorial staff, Murth said he was impressed with Obama's organization in the state and said he saw momentum growing behind the Democrat's campaign.
Obama's Republican rival John McCain has borne the brunt of the economic crisis, said Murtha.
Military veterans and senior citizens began to support Obama in recent weeks, he said, but it had "taken time for the state's voters embrace a black presidential candidate," reported the newspaper.
The latest aggregate poll from RealClearPolitics.com finds Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by over 13 percentage points.
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