If McCain doesn't win the nomination in 2008, he had better retire, or else he'll get a run for his money, and most likely lose his Senate seat in 2010.

Napolitano 2010! She's "THE woman." :clap: I'm more than happy with the job she's doing as my Governor.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...-poll0822.html

Napolitano popularity soars in poll
Governor could beat McCain for Senate if 2 were running today

Matthew Benson
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 22, 2007 12:00 AM

Gov. Janet Napolitano remains the state's most popular elected official and would top Sen. John McCain in a matchup for his Senate seat, according to poll results released Tuesday.

The poll says that Napolitano, a Democrat, would defeat Arizona's senior U.S. senator by 11 percentage points, 47 percent to 36 percent, if the two were running for the Senate today. Seventeen percent of respondents were undecided, according to the poll of 629 Arizona voters conducted by the nonpartisan Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center.

The matchup is entirely hypothetical, with the election more than three years out and neither official paying more than scant attention to the 2010 race. advertisement

That's when McCain's term ends, and it's unknown whether he'll seek re-election if his bid for president fails next year. Napolitano, meanwhile, is term-limited and may find herself looking for a new challenge in - you guessed it -2010.

"A million things can happen between now and when the election takes place," Behavior Research Center President Jim Haynes said. But the numbers speak to Napolitano's continuing popularity and the daunting candidate she'd make in a run for Senate.

"People trust the governor and believe she's working in the best interest of Arizona," said Emily Bittner, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party.

Napolitano's performance as governor was rated "excellent" or "good" by 59 percent of respondents, including 76 percent of Democrats, 41 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of independent voters. She was rated "poor" or "very poor" by just 9 percent of those surveyed, her best unfavorable rating since becoming governor.

Conducted between July 27 and Aug. 4, the poll had a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.

Sean McCaffrey, executive director of the Arizona GOP, attributed Napolitano's popularity to her political savvy and a re-election bid in 2006 that he characterized as much too easy. Napolitano defeated GOP rival Len Munsil by 27 percentage points, one of the widest gaps in Arizona's gubernatorial history.

"If and when the governor decides to run for Senate," he said, "the world would be 180 degrees different for her than it is today."

On the GOP side, U.S. Rep. John Shadegg is among a handful of potential heirs apparent to McCain's seat. McCaffrey called Shadegg "one of a number of people who are in a different league than Napolitano."

Several factors figure to influence any Napolitano decision about running for Senate. Perhaps most immediate is the presidential campaign, which, if a Democrat wins, could eventually result in a Cabinet or other appointment for Napolitano. If she resigns her office, Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer would serve the remainder of Napolitano's term as governor.

For now, spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said Napolitano isn't concerning herself with the what-ifs.

"She loves being governor of Arizona. That is her focus," L'Ecuyer said. "She's got a job to do."

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/95569

Poll: Napolitano more popular than McCain
Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services

If John McCain isn't elected president next year, he may have a hard time gaining another term in the U.S. Senate.

A new statewide survey shows that if the Senate election were held today, the Republican incumbent would be defeated by Gov. Janet Napolitano – that is, if Napolitano would choose to run for the seat. The Democrat governor cannot seek a third term.

Not surprisingly, the poll by the Behavior Research Center shows Napolitano the favorite of 78 percent of Democrats, versus 11 percent for McCain. But the governor also would pick up 20 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of independents who make up nearly 28 percent of Arizona’s registered voters.

If they went head to head, Napolitano would get 47 percent of the vote, compared to 36 percent for McCain, according to the poll.

The poll took place between July 27 and Aug. 4 and included responses from 629 voters. The margin of error was 3.9 percent.

Voters were also asked how Napolitano is doing as governor. Only 9 percent rated her performance in office as poor or very poor, the lowest since she was first elected in 2002. Another 59 percent rate her work as excellent or good.