Poll shows Coleman trailing in Minn. GOV race

Former Sen. Norm Coleman’s (R-Minn.) numbers took a hit thanks to his drawn-out court battle over his Senate election loss to now-Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), and he would start out a gubernatorial campaign slightly behind some top contenders, according to a new poll.

There has been some chatter about Coleman running for the open governor’s seat in 2010 now that his Senate challenge is over. The survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning firm, shows Coleman trailing Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (D) 43-37 and former Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) 41-39 in potential matchups.

Coleman does lead one matchup, 42-34 over little-known state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D).

The poll shows just 38 percent of voters view Coleman favorably, with 52 percent holding an unfavorable view. To win a governor’s race, Coleman would likely have to flip those numbers.