[img_assist|nid=949|title=Gov. Chris Gregoire|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=150|height=136]

A new Rasumussen Poll show Governor Chris Gregoire with a comfortable eleven point lead over her opponent, Republican Dino Rossi. The poll has Gregoire leading Rossi 52 percent to 41 percent. The last two Rasmussen snapshots, conducted in March and in February, showed statistical dead heats of 47-46, with Rossi leading in February and Gregoire on top in March.

Gregoire's improvement can be attributed to a combination of energizing the base and winning over the independents. The new poll shows her with 88 percent support from Democrats, a significant increase from past snapshots, and a nine percent lead among independents. In a March Rasmussen Poll, the two were essentially even among independents.

The poll was conducted on May 12 and surveyed 500 likely voters. The margin of error is +/- 4 percent.

The same pollster also shows Democrat Barack Obama leading Republican John McCain 51-40 in a presidential matchup here in the Evergreen State. This, too, is a marked increase for the Democrat from earlier polls.