A new poll released Thursday showed Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) trailing former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), the likely Republican nominee in 2010, 48 percent to 39 percent. The Quinnipiac University survey also found that Dodd’s negative job approval rating has improved, but with 42 percent approving of the job he is doing and 52 percent disapproving, his numbers are still upside down.

In the last Quinnipiac survey, released May 27, Simmons had a 45 percent to 39 percent lead over Dodd. In that same poll, 38 percent of respondents approved of the job Dodd was doing and 53 percent disapproved.

The poll released Thursday showed that despite making gains among Democratic voters, Dodd has lost ground among Independents, a key voting bloc that Simmons now leads 56 percent to 27 percent. The poll also found that 35 percent of voters view Dodd as honest and trustworthy, while 55 percent of respondents said he does not have both of those qualities.

“Dodd’s most glaring weakness continues to be that a majority of voters say he is not honest and trustworthy. This is not something that will be easy for Dodd to reverse,— said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz. “Another problem for Dodd is that the bad economy has put voters in a grumpy mood. Consequently, voters have little patience for politician’s missteps.—

Simmons faces a primary next year, but the Quinnipiac Poll showed that he is by far the best-known Republican in the race. The poll found that he led the GOP primary with 42 percent while no other candidate topped 5 percent. Forty-five percent of the Republicans surveyed were undecided.

The Quinnipiac University poll was taken from July 16-20 and surveyed 1,499 registered voters in Connecticut. Its margin of error was 2.5 points.