HARRISBURG -- Republican Lynn Swann gained a few yards in the governor's race, but incumbent Gov. Ed Rendell still holds a comfortable lead, according to the most recent poll of likely voters.

Fifty-five percent support Mr. Rendell while 39 percent support Mr. Swann and 6 percent are undecided, according to poll results released yesterday by Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn.

Quinnipiac's August poll showed a stronger lead for Mr. Rendell, with voters split 57 percent to 38 percent.

Despite Mr. Swann's gain, Mr. Rendell "remains untouchable" with just six weeks until Election Day, said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of Quinnipiac polls.

Not so, said Leonardo Alcivar, Mr. Swann's communications director.

"We're within striking distance of a sitting governor who has vastly outspent us. That means our TV ads are working, and we've still got six weeks to go," he said. "This poll is nothing but a net positive for this campaign."

Pundits, though, have repeatedly said there's little chance Mr. Swann will gain enough ground to unseat Mr. Rendell.

The Rendell campaign is pleased with the results, but not ready to celebrate just yet.

"We run campaigns hard, and that means we do whatever we need to do whether we are down 5 points or up 16," said Dan Fee, Mr. Rendell's campaign spokesman.

"We're pleased that people continue to respond so strongly to the governor's record of accomplishment," Mr. Fee said. "It's clear that voters want a governor who is experienced, and Lynn Swann simply cannot compete."

The telephone poll surveyed 933 likely voters Sept. 19-24. It has a theoretical margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

The poll was released a day after the latest campaign finance reports showed Mr. Rendell also leads Mr. Swann in fund raising.

Mr. Rendell has raised $26 million this campaign, while Mr. Swann has raised $7.7 million.