Poll: California voters give Schwarzenegger all-time low approval rating

Poll: Schwarzenegger approval rating hits new low

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new poll says California voters are giving Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger the lowest rating for a sitting governor in more than 50 years.

The Field Poll released Wednesday says just 22 percent of voters surveyed approve of Schwarzenegger’s performance, while 70 percent disapprove.

The ratings are as low as those for then-Gov. Gray Davis shortly before he was recalled from office in 2003. The figure also is the lowest since the Field Poll began its surveys more than 50 years ago.

Just 16 percent of respondents approve of the way the Legislature is doing its job.

The poll surveyed 1,390 registered voters by telephone from June 22 to July 5. It has a sampling error rate of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.