With strong job-approval ratings, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Sen. Max Baucus and Rep. Denny Rehberg all appear to be in strong shape heading into the 2008 election, a Lee Newspapers poll shows.

Schweitzer and Baucus, both Democrats, also enjoy big leads over two Billings Republican legislators, Roy Brown and Michael Lange, respectively, who aren't well known statewide yet.

Rehberg, a Republican, also is running strong, the poll found, despite being unopposed for now since Democrat Bill Kennedy, a Yellowstone County commissioner, dropped out for health reasons in mid-November.

The poll shows Baucus leading the top Montana officeholders with a job-approval rating of 67 percent, followed by Schweitzer at 61 percent. Rehberg came in at 58 percent, while Democratic Sen. Jon Tester was at 55 percent.

Six months ago, the Lee poll found Baucus at 67 percent, Schweitzer at 61 percent and Rehberg at 58 percent. Tester, who in 2006 knocked off Republican incumbent Conrad Burns, was at 46 percent.

The job approval ratings are determined by asking voters polled to rate the elected officials job performance as "excellent," "pretty good," "only fair" and "poor." The "excellent" and "pretty good" ratings are combined to yield the positive job approval score.

The telephone poll of 625 Montana voters was taken Dec. 17-19 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. of Washington, D.C., which has polled for Lee Newspapers since 1990. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

"Baucus looks completely solid for re-election," said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., which did the poll. "The same with Rehberg at this point."

Schweitzer's numbers still look "pretty good," Coker said, although he detected "a little creep-up in his negatives," saying: "His style wears a little thin in some areas."

Baucus vs. Lange

If the election were held today, Baucus would defeat Lange by 63 to 25 percent, with 12 percent undecided, the poll showed.

Baucus enjoyed strong leads among both men and women, with 90 percent of Democrats saying they would vote for him, 63 percent of independents and 38 percent of Republicans. Lange would win the support of 49 percent of Republicans, 19 percent of independents and 5 percent of Democrats, the poll showed.

Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is seeking his sixth six-year Senate term. Through Dec. 7, Baucus had amassed $8.6 million in campaign funds and had $5.3 million left, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Lange, a state representative and plumber-pipefitter, raised $6,166 so far and had $3,364 left on Dec. 7, the center said. Lange entered the race in June.

Voters were also asked if they recognized the names of the major statewide candidates, and if so, whether they regarded them favorably, unfavorably or neutral.

Poll results showed 57 percent recognized Baucus favorably, 15 percent unfavorably, 27 percent neutral and 1 percent didn't recognize him.

Fifty-eight percent didn't recognize Lange's name, and of those who did, 17 percent had an unfavorable reaction compared with 8 percent who had a favorable one. Seventeen percent were neutral.

"Nobody knows Lange," Coker said. "Lange is outside the mainstream political circle."

Schweitzer vs. Brown

In the governor's race, Schweitzer would defeat Brown, a state senator, if the election were held today by 55 to 30 percent, with 15 percent undecided.

The poll showed Schweitzer drawing the support of 58 percent of women, 52 percent of men, 89 percent of Democrats, 52 percent of independents and 28 percent of Republicans. Brown has the support of 32 percent of the men, 28 percent of women, 59 percent of Republicans, 26 percent of independents and 3 percent of Democrats.

Schweitzer, a farmer-rancher, had raised slightly more than $750,000 and reported $452,320 left in the bank on Sept. 30.

Brown, a semi-retired businessman with rental and petroleum-related investments, has served in both legislative chambers. He didn't enter the race until early November so he has not yet had to file a campaign finance report.

Schweitzer drew favorable recognition from 54 percent of voters, unfavorable from 22 percent, neutral from 22 percent and 2 percent didn't recognize him.

Brown was unknown by 51 percent. Of those who recognized his name, those rating him favorable outnumbered those ranking him unfavorable by 19 percent to 9 percent, while 21 percent were neutral.

"Brown's negatives weren't horrible," Coker said. "He's credible, but he's running uphill. As long as Schweitzer's base of support is in the mid-50s, it's going to be hard to beat him."

Rehberg

In the House race, 59 percent of voters said they would vote to re-elect Rehberg, who is seeking a fifth term, while 26 percent said they would support a Democrat, with 15 percent undecided.

Rehberg had the support of 67 percent of men, 51 percent of women, 86 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of independents and 31 percent Democrats.

Through Dec. 7, Rehberg had raised $407,782, not counting leftover money from his previous campaigns, and had more than $484,000 left in the bank.

Rehberg had positive name recognition of 56 percent to 12 percent negative, with 26 percent neutral and 6 percent not recognizing his name.

Comments

Some voters who were polled but interviewed separately by the Lee Newspapers State Bureau had strong feelings about the incumbents, but knew little about the challengers.

Felix Gilbertson, 35, a farmer-rancher who lives 20 miles south of Flaxville in Daniels County, praised Baucus.

"Max returns my calls," he said. "The other joker that was in there (Burns) never returned my calls. I like Max."

Bill Bevis, 66, a retired English professor in Missoula, also had kind words about Baucus.

" I think Max has done a terrific job," Bevis said. "He has stayed in office during an entire generation of this state voting Republican. When Democrats gripe about him, they need to remember that he had to stay in office. He's done a very good job in doing what he can for the progressive center."

But another Democrat, Beatrice Rosenleaf, a semi-retired Anaconda woman, was lukewarm about Baucus, saying: "Sometimes he does good, and sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes, I think he's been back in Washington too long. He's kind of lost touch with the rest of us."

But given the fact that Lange's running against Baucus, Rosenleaf said she'll vote to re-elect the Democratic senator. However, if someone "good" runs against him, the Anaconda woman said she will consider voting for that person.

Jan McPherson, a retired Stevensville woman, offered a similar assessment of Baucus: "I just don't feel good about him right now. We need somebody new in there, for God's sake."

But Nichole Briceno, 30, who works in workforce management at a Butte call center, said, "I've always liked Max Baucus. I think he represents us."

Schweitzer drew mostly favorable reviews from those interviewed later.

"I think he's done an excellent job," Rosenleaf said. "He's done a lot of what he's promised to do in his campaign. The state's in good shape."

Don Andersen of Thompson Falls said Schweitzer is doing "a terrific job."

"It's just that he seems like he's a little more down to earth," Andersen said. "He doesn't have that high, regal quality that the higher-up politicians have. He just seems like he's one of the people."

McPherson applauded Schweitzer for his hard work, saying: "I don't think everything is right, but I do appreciate what he's doing. That $400 (tax rebate) is really kind of cool that we got back. I like that he's a working governor."

Less enchanted with Schweitzer was Donna Menager of Hamilton, who accused him of just playing politics.

"He wants to run for higher office so bad, that he's just running all over the country trying to impress people," she said.

As for Rehberg, Gilbertson said, "I've heard Denny a few times. He spoke on our radio (station). I like Denny. I'd vote for him."

McPherson, however, said Rehberg is "another one of those that's been there too long."

The Stevensville woman said she "kind of" likes Tester, and particularly likes the way he works with Schweitzer.

Briceno gave Tester a hearty endorsement, saying: "I had recently sent him a question on-line, and he got back to me real fast."

Voters interviewed had little knowledge and few comments about Brown and Lange.