Poll Tracker

• Ohio: First-term Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland is looking increasingly vulnerable in 2010 especially if the economy stays in the tank, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted June 26 - July 1.

• New Jersey: Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie is leading New Jersey Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 45 percent to 39 percent with 15 percent undecided, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll conducted June 22-29.

• New York: Each new poll about the political fortunes of New York Gov. David Paterson and the headline on the latest Marist poll is no exception: "Paterson's Approval Rating Still in the Tank."

• Massachusetts: First-term Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick is looking vulnerable in Massachusetts where, when matched against two Republicans in 2010, he is statistically tied with one and has a modest lead over the other, according to a Rasmussen Reports conducted June 24.

And then there's the piece on CQ Politics today about Wisconsin's Gov. Jim Doyle whose aspirations for a third term may be affected if his state continues to be battered by the recession.

While factors vary state-to-state, one common denominator for all these governors is the still-ailing economy and its impact on their budgets. As Quinnipiac's Peter Brown said in his poll on Strickland, "The lousy economy and its impact on any politician's ability to deliver the goods have taken their toll on governors throughout the nation."

Of course, there's a caveat in taking these polls too much at face value.

As our colleague Bob Benenson says, "The most important thing to remember is that these approval and candidate matchup polls are being taken at a time when all voters are hearing is 'Governor Struggles With Budget Shortfall' or some variant. There's a hint in the fact that some of these polls show large segments of respondents saying they don't know who the heck the challengers are, but saying that they'll vote for them anyway.

"But next year (except for Corzine who faces voters this November), when the campaign kicks in, each of the incumbents will be spending millions reminding voters how wonderful they are and how wonderful their opponents aren't. And for the Democrats at least, they'll be backed by a voter turnout machine that's been pretty darn effective."