PHOENIX, Ariz. (Legal Newsline)-Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard has the highest approval rating of any statewide office holder in the Grand Canyon State, a poll indicates.

The Democratic attorney general is widely considered a potential candidate for governor in 2010. Goddard, the son of a former governor, has sought to be the state's chief executive in the past.

Arizona State University's Cronkite School of Journalism and PBS affiliate KAET's poll shows that Goddard, a former mayor of Phoenix, is rated to have done an excellent or good job by 89 percent of voters who said they knew enough about the AG to rate his performance.

By comparison fellow Democrat, Gov. Janet Napolitano has an 81 percent approval rating.

As for Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer, who is considered a possible successor to Napolitano should she leave her post for a job in President-elect Barack Obama's administration, 81 percent of voters say she is doing a good or excellent job.

The poll of 780 registered voters --39 percent Republican, 34 percent Democrat and 27 percent Independent -- has a maximum margin of sampling error of 3.5 percent. The survey was conducted Nov. 20 to Nov. 23.

From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.