Register poll finds support for Culver slipping

DES MOINES (AP) - A poll for The Des Moines Register shows Gov. Chet Culver's job approval rating has fallen to 40 percent, a 20 percentage point decline since January.

The poll, published Saturday night in a copyright story on the newspaper's Web site, also showed Culver losing by 24 percentage points in a matchup with former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who is edging toward seeking the GOP nomination. Culver also trailed Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats by eight points.

About 34 percent of Iowans say the state is headed in the right direction.

The telephone poll was conducted from Nov. 8 to 11 by Selzer & Co. of 800 Iowans age 18 and older. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.