Cantwell approval up

According to a national approval rating poll of US senators taken by SurveyUSA, Sen. Maria Cantwell is now the more popular of the state's two senators. Typically running a few points behind fellow Democrat Patty Murray, Cantwell now holds the same approval rating and a lower disapproval than Murray. This bodes well for Cantwell in that she faces a potentially-strong challenger for reelection run next year in Safeco CEO Mike McGavick. With a positive 4-point swing in approval and 5-point decrease in disapproval, Cantwell appears on more solid ground than she was one month ago.

For the record, Maine Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are once again the most beloved senators in the nation. New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg and Montana Republican Conrad Burns scored lowest.