Maryland Politics - O'Malley keeps lead in latest Gonzales poll

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) continues to lead in a hypothetical rematch against former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) but has a job-approval rating "lower than an incumbent would prefer 10 months before an election," according to a new poll.

O'Malley leads Ehrlich among likely voters, 48 percent to 39 percent, with 13 percent undecided, in the poll by Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies. The margin is a little tighter than in September, when Gonzales showed O'Malley up 49 percent to 38 percent.

Ehrlich, who was the state's first Republican governor in a generation, is continuing to mull a rematch of his 2006 race against O'Malley, which he lost by 6.5 percentage points as the incumbent.

In the poll, 46 percent approve of the job O'Malley is doing as governor, while 36 percent disapprove and 18 percent have no opinion. Those numbers have not changed much either since September, when O'Malley's approval was at 48 percent and his disapproval registered at 37 percent.

The performances of both President Obama and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) are viewed more favorably by Marylanders.

Fifty-six percent of likely voters approve of Obama's performance, while 30 percent disapprove and 14 percent have no opinion.

Mikulski's performance is viewed favorably by 64 percent and unfavorably by 23 percent, with 13 percent undecided.

Obama and Mikulski's numbers have dropped slightly since September. In the view of Gonzales, "the economic unrest and unease many feel has not had much effect on Marylanders' attitude" toward Mikulski, who is also on the ballot this year.

The statewide telephone poll of 816 likely voters was conducted Jan. 13 through 17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.