He's playing a leading role in the health care negotiations. But if the election was held today, Chris Dodd would be looking for work. A new Quinnipiac poll shows the Connecticut senator and former presidential candidate trailing former Rep. Rob Simmons, the likely Republican nominee, in his bid for a sixth term.

General Election Matchups
Simmons 48 (+5 from May)
Dodd 39 (unch)
Don't Know 10 (-5)

Dodd 42 (+1)
Caligiuri 40 (+1)
Don't Know 15 (-2)

Dodd 42 (+7)
Foley 42 (-1)
Don't Know 14 (-2)

Dodd 43
Schiff 38
Don't Know 16

Several of his potential rivals have low name ID at this point. In a potential Republican primary, Simmons is clearly ahead, at 42 percent, with Foley and Caligiuri at 5 percent each.

Favorability Ratings
Dodd 40 / 50
Simmons 39 / 12
Caligiuri 12 / 4
Alpert 3 / 1
Foley 17 / 5
Schiff 7 / 3

Dodd's job approval rating is at 42 percent, up four points from May. Asked if Dodd is honest and trustworthy, only 35 percent of voters said yes, compared to 55 percent who say no. But asked if he's a strong leader, 62 percent say yes.

As President Obama has showered Dodd with praise, the Quinnipiac poll shows that 71 percent of voters say that their vote won't be swayed even if he campaigns actively on Dodd's behalf. The president's job approval stands at 57 percent, down 5 points from March.

The survey of 1,499 registered voters was conducted from July 16 - 20, with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent.