Democrats' Culver Trails GOP's Branstad Badly in Iowa Governor Race

Republican Terry Branstad, who served four terms as Iowa's governor and is running to get his old job back, leads Democratic Gov. Chet Culver by 53 percent to 33 percent, with 5 percent preferring another choice and 9 percent undecided, according to a Des Moines Register poll conducted Jan. 31-Feb.3. Culver also finds himself in tight races with three other GOP hopefuls.

Like many governors, Culver has struggled with budget problems due to the economic downturn, and it has taken its toll on his job-approval rating, which has dropped from 60 percent in January 2009 to 36 percent. Fifty-three percent disapprove of his performance and 11 percent are undecided.

Aside from Branstad, Republican businessman Bob Vander Plaats leads Culver, 43 percent to 40 percent, with 5 percent preferring someone else and 12 percent undecided. That's within the survey's 4.3 point margin of error.

Culver leads state Rep. Chris Rants by 41 percent to 37 percent with 8 percent preferring another choice and 14 percent undecided.

He also leads state Rep. Rod Roberts by 41 percent to 36 percent with 8 percent preferring another choice and 15 percent undecided.

Culver's support among fellow Democrats has eroded from 72 percent last September to 57 percent. Union households, which approved of his performance by a 60-34 margin last April, now disapprove of him by 57 percent to 37 percent. Twenty-one percent of Democrats said they'd vote for Branstad over Culver at this point.

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