Sen. John Sununu (R) has seen his popularity in the Granite State drop.

The latest Granite State Poll revealed that only 45 percent of voters held a favorable opinion of the first-term Senator. Last year more than 50 percent of voters did.

The University of New Hampshire Survey Center conducted the poll of 538 state residents on Feb. 1. The survey was sponsored by WMUR-TV and had a 4.2 percent error margin.

Sen. Judd Gregg (R) also saw his popularity decline in a state that replaced its two GOP Congressmen with Democrats last November.

Sununu’s would-be Democratic rivals are wasting no time criticizing the 42-year-old incumbent’s record.

Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand (D) — the first to declare his candidacy — already has begun issuing news releases critiquing the Senate’s youngest member.

Katrina Swett (D), daughter of Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), also has entered the race while Gary Hirshberg (D), founder of Stonyfield Farm yogurt, has set a March 5 deadline for himself to decide whether or not to run.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee already has named Sununu a top target.
— Nicole Duran