Poll: Governor Patrick would win governor race

A new poll of Massachusetts voters shows Gov. Deval Patrick's unfavorability ratings on the rise, though he still leads in a potential matchup with 2010 rivals.

Forty-five percent of the 500 registered voters surveyed by Suffolk University and WHDH-TV said they held a negative view of Patrick's performance in office, while 42 percent viewed him favorably.

Only 29 percent said the governor deserved to be re-elected.

But Patrick came out on top in a hypothetical three-way gubernatorial race, with 36 percent support to 23 percent for state Treasurer Tim Cahill -- who plans to run as an independent -- and 14 percent for Republican Charles Baker.

Nearly half of those surveyed had not heard of Baker.

The poll was conducted Sept. 12-15 and has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.