Poll shows U.S. Sen. Menendez ahead of possible challengers

Poll compared the U.S. senator to Tom Kean Jr., Kim Guadagno, Lou Dobbs

Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesU.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) speaks in Washington, D.C., in this August 2010 file photo.

TRENTON — U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) leads against three hypothetical Republican opponents in a poll released today that tests the coming 2012 election.

Menendez defeated state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. 53-44 percent in the 2006 race, but today's poll by Public Policy Polling, a liberal-leaning firm, shows a tighter margin. Menendez took 41 percent compared to Kean's 39 percent with 19 percent unsure.

“We’ve known for months now that Menendez has weak approval numbers,” Dean Debnam, president of North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling, said in a news release. “The good news for him is despite that he still leads all his potential opponents for re-election. But there’s a good chance it won’t be easy.”

The poll found 37 percent approve of Menendez's job, while 38 percent disapprove, and 24 percent were not sure. The poll found 31 percent have a favorable opinion of Kean and 18 percent unfavorable, while 51 percent were unsure.

The polling firm also asked about Fox Business Network pundit Lou Dobbs and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno as potential opponents.

Menendez did best against Guadagno, with a 15 percentage point margin between the two. The poll found 45 percent preferring the senator and 30 percent the lieutenant governor. Guadagno, the state's first lieutenant governor, appeared relatively unknown, with 72 percent of respondents having no opinion of her.

Of the 520 polled, 10 percent had a favorable opinion of Guadagno, and 18 percent had an unfavorable opinion.

Menendez also outpolled Dobbs, 47 percent to 35 percent. Dobbs flirted with the idea of running for the seat in 2006. Of those polled, 25 percent had a favorable opinion of Dobbs, 30 percent an unfavorable opinion and 46 percent were not sure.

The poll also asked about U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg's job performance. Of those polled, 41 percent approved of Lautenberg's job and 38 percent disapproved, while 21 percent were unsure.