Gov. Jerry Brown continues to roll right along, at least in terms of public opinion, according to a Field Poll released today. In a June 26-July 21 survey of 1,687 registered voters in California, 51 percent approve of "the way Jerry Brown is handling his job as Governor of California." Thirty-three percent disapprove. Brown's approval rating is down from 57 percent earlier this year, but still higher than at any other point in his current governorship.
Perhaps of more interest, the poll found that 43 percent of voters are "inclined to vote to re-elect Brown as governor" next year, as opposed to 38 percent who are not.
Only 21 percent of Republicans support Brown for re-election, but that's no biggie in California -- just 29 percent of voters are registered Republican in the state. Fifty-seven percent of Democrats support Brown's re-election. Independents support a second Brown term by 44 to 35 percent.
Brown has not announced yet if he will run. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent.
You'll see below that Brown's approval got a big bump between October and February. In November, voters passed his Proposition 30, which raised taxes. The revenue that's bringing in, along with California's recovery from the financial crisis, helped lead to a budget surplus after years of multi-billion dollar deficits and severe cuts in service.