While previous polls have shown Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels struggling against little-known Democratic opponents, a new survey sponsored by the Republican Governors Association suggests the embattled incumbent may get beyond his troubles with toll roads and time zones in time for election day.

The survey, conducted 12/10-15 by Bellwether Research & Consulting for the RGA, polled 1009 registered Indiana voters for a margin of error of +/- 3%. Daniels, ex-Rep. Jill Long Thompson and architect Jim Schellinger, both Democrats, were surveyed. The poll's sample was made up of 36% Republicans, 24% Democrats and 40% independents or voters affiliated with other parties.

General Election Matchup
(With leaners)
Daniels 46
Thompson 33

Daniels 46
Schellinger 31

Daniels enjoys a 51% job approval rating, while just 41% disapprove. The results look pretty good for the incumbent, for while he is under the magic 50% mark, he remains well ahead of his Democratic opponents.

The poll, though, is a marked contrast from an early November survey conducted by independent firm Selzer & Co., based in Iowa, which showed Schellinger and Thompson each leading Daniels with 44% of the vote as he hovered in the low 40s.

The big difference: Bellwether's sample had a twelve-point Republican edge, while the Selzer poll showed a 2-point Democratic edge. President Bush won the state with 60% and 57% in 2004 and 2000, though in 2006 Republicans won just 50.6% of the House votes cast in the state to Democrats' 49.4%. Daniels won with 53% of the vote in 2004, compared with 45% for acting Governor Joe Kernan.