Minnesotans are evenly spit on the job performance of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, according to a new poll commissioned by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Of those surveyed, 47 percent expressed satisfaction with Pawlenty’s tenure, while 49 percent rated his performance only fair or poor.
The study also found that neither major party enjoys an advantage heading into next year’s gubernatorial contest. Of those surveyed, 27 percent said that they intend to vote for a Democratic candidate, while an equal share expressed support for a Republican challenger.
State legislators from both major parties are equally unpopular with the public, according to the poll. Roughly a quarter of respondents expressed satisfaction with the job performance of Republicans and Democrats at the state Capitol.
The poll also found that Minnesotans are a schizophrenic bunch when it comes to taxes. Just 17 percent of those surveyed expressed support for higher taxes in order to balance the state budget, while 63 percent advocated cutting government spending. But conversely, when respondents were asked if they’d be willing to pay higher taxes to improve specific services — namely transportation, education, health care and job creation — a majority indicated a willingness to pay more.
The survey of 602 likely voters was conducted by Momentum Analysis. It had a +/- 4 margin of error.
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