Although Oregon's Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski might seem vulnerable due to lackluster support from within his own party and a seeming lack of major legislative victories, new polling indicates that the Governor still maintains double-digit leads against the top Republican challengers. Looking at the data from Riley Research Associates, a non-profit Portland-based pollster, we find:

• Among Democrats, Kulongoski leads with 53%, followed by Vicki Walker at 3% and Peter Sorenson at 2%.
  
• Among Republicans, 2002 GOP Gov. nominee Kevin Mannix receives 31% support, 9% back Ron Saxton, while a surprising 13% pick Kulongoski as their top choice.

In head-to-head matchups,

• Kulongoski 48%, Mannix 33%
  
• Kulongoski 43%, Saxton 20%

No incumbent wants to stand with reelect numbers in the forties, but just the same, any incumbet would be happy to lead his top challengers by 15% and 23% respectively. Kulongoski might not be the strongest gubernatorial candidate in the nation, but he's certainly not the weakest either.