Poll: Goddard trailing Brewer

PHOENIX - Terry Goddard may be unable to win the governor's race even if he turns the attention of voters from immigration to the economy, according to a national pollster.

Scott Rasmussen said Monday that Republican Jan Brewer has been riding high with her decision to sign what's reported to be the toughest immigration bill in the country. A new telephonic poll Rasmussen released Monday show the incumbent maintains a 19-point lead over her Democratic challenger.

And Rasmussen told Capitol Media Services that the negative reaction from some camps - including the lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice - has only made Brewer stronger.

“By the way she was attacked by people outside the state she built up a big level of support,'' he said.

“It's not clear what can change that,'' Rasmussen said.

“It's not going to be mere campaign tactics,'' he continued. “The issues are going to have to change.''

Goddard has been trying to do just that for months, hammering away at the state's economy. That includes a 9.6 percent unemployment rate, up from just 7 percent when Brewer took office close to 20 months ago.

But the numbers are not moving in Goddard's favor.

Monday's poll shows Brewer the choice of 57 percent of those questioned, against 38 percent for Goddard.

That spread has remained more or less intact for the last two months. But Goddard was actually leading in a Rasmussen survey in March.

“That's a direct reflection of you know what,'' he acknowledged of her decision in April to sign the new immigration law.

“That bill had a whole lot of popularity,'' Goddard continued.

“One bill does not make a campaign for governor. There's a whole lot more to it.''

The Democratic challenger will get perhaps his best chance ever to refocus the campaign on Wednesday during what is now the only scheduled debate among the gubernatorial candidates.