Barrasso now most popular senator running for reelection

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) is the most popular senator running for reelection, according to new polling data.

In fact, Wyoming has two of the most popular senators in the nation, according to the Democratic leaning Public Policy Polling firm.

New numbers show Barrasso and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) are "the two most popular Senators we've ever polled on," PPP notes in its analysis.

Barrasso, who's up for reelection in 2012, had a 69 percent approval rating while Enzi had a 63 percent approval rating.

The numbers come two weeks after PPP released polling data that showed Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is the most popular senator running for reelection, while Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is the least. Barrasso beats Klobuchar's 59 percent approval rating by 10 points.

Barrasso is not considered a top Democratic target for the 2012. The nonpartisan Cook Report lists his seat as a solid "R," which is good news for Republicans. The party only needs a net gain of four seats to win control of the upper chamber.

He was appointed to the seat in 2007 and won a 2008 special election to fill out the remainder of the late Sen. Craig Thomas's (R) term. Barrasso is running for his first full term next year.

Former Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who just left office, got high marks in the poll, with 71 percent of voters approving of his job performance.

But when the poll put him in a hypothetical matchup with Barrasso, Freudenthal trailed 56-36.