Poll: Goddard, Gordon top business owners' early picks for governor

Ariz. Attorney General Terry GoddardArizona small business owners overwhelmingly favor a Democrat to replace Gov. Janet Napolitano, according to the Silver State Bank/Arizona Small Business Association/O'Neil Associates Arizona Economic Indicators Monitor.

The poll, conducted among the ASBA's 3,000 members, found that 43 percent of respondents supported Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard in the hypothetical race. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon came in second with 21 percent.

Rounding out the list were U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters (10 percent), Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman (8 percent), Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (8 percent), state Treasurer Dean Martin (7 percent) and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas (5 percent).

Although the gubernatorial race likely won't begin until mid-2009 at the earliest, Gov. Napolitano is termed out, leaving the field wide open. Additionally, the election of either U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) or U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to the presidency could trigger an early race. Napolitano might run in a special election to replace McCain in the Senate, leaving the governor's post open, or Obama could appoint her to a cabinet post, also necessitating a gubernatorial contest.

For the purposes of the poll, potential candidates were not divided by party affiliation (Goddard and Gordon were the only two Democrats on the list). The analysis accompanying the poll pointed out that, when second choices were added, Goddard received 64 percent support from the respondents, and that Goddard's total alone was more than all five Republicans combined.

"It is true that readings at this early stage often favor those with higher name recognition," read the analysis accompanying the poll. "Terry Goddard has run for Governor before and occupies a high-profile statewide office. Of course, two of the three Republican alternatives also occupy statewide offices. Likewise, Phil Gordon is mayor of the state's largest city, a position of some prominence.

"Of course, should Gordon elect to run for Governor, he will have to consider the risk that he would be the third sitting Phoenix Mayor in a row to unsuccessfully run for Governor (the previous ones being Terry Goddard and Paul Johnson)."