Dodd For Governor?

WASHINGTON — Despite his high approval ratings, Governor John G. Rowland could have a fight on his hand in 2004, a poll released last week by Qunnipiac University concluded.

The poll of Connecticut voters indicated that if Sen Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) ran against the incumbent governor, Gov Rowland would still come out on top, but by a narrow two percent of votes.

Gov Rowland would receive 44 percent of the vote, and Sen Dodd would receive 42 percent of the vote, the study said.

The polls results did not come as much of a surprise to the Dodd camp. Talk about a possible run for the governorship has surrounded Sen Dodd for some now. Often after press conference, Connecticut reporters hound the senator in the hallways of the Capitol to see if he has changed his mind about the run. Sen Dodd has said repeatedly that he would not run.

And the Dodd camp echoed that message after the poll results were released last week. Despite the fact that the poll found 36 percent of Connecticut residents thought it “somewhat likely” the he would run in 2004, Dodd spokesman Marvin Fast quelled the speculation.

“He has every intention at this point of seeking reelection in 2004,” Mr Fast said.

“It’s a fun part of our game,” Mr Fast added of such polls. “People like to talk about rumors and hypothetically… but at the end of the day, the main thing to remember s that he’s enjoying what he’s doing.”

In the past, when peppered with questions about a run for governor, Sen Dodd usually laughs it off. Mr Fast said Sen Dodd had a similar reaction about the poll. “I think that is the right way to describe it,” he said.

A spokesman for Gov Rowland said that the governor had not seen the poll, but was aware of its findings. He added that the governor remained encouraged about the poll’s other finding, namely that he had a 66 percent approval rating among voters.