Poll Tracker

Minnesota's Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, up for re-election in 2010, was matched up against nine potential opponents and beat them all, although two were by relatively close margins, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted May 18-19. However, SurveyUSA cautions that, with the election 18 months away and many possible contenders still little known, this is just "a first look at the landscape).

The most competitive contenders are Minneapolis Mayor R.T.Rybak who is within five points of Pawlenty and former Sen. Mark Dayton is within four points. (One hallmark of Dayton's career is that he defeated Sen. Eugene McCarthy in a Democratic primary in 1982, although he later lost the general election).

Pawlenty has leads ranging between 11 and 19 points over state Rep. Paul Thissen, state Sen. Tom Bakk, state Sen. John Marty, Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, former Minnesota House Leader Matt Entenza and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.