First-term Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) would trounce her only declared Republican opponent, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Democratic firm Public Policy Polling found Klobuchar with a 61 percent approval rating as she looks toward her re-election effort in 2012. The survey of more than 1,000 Minnesota voters showed that respondents preferred her over GOP candidate Dan Severson, 56 to 28 percent. Sixteen percent of respondents said they were undecided, but even if all those voters on the bubble went with Severson, Klobuchar would still be far ahead.

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty was the only potential GOP candidate in the poll who came close to matching Klobuchar. In a race between the two, she would beat him, 54 percent to 41 percent. Pawlenty, however, announced last week that he is running for president.

In 2006, Klobuchar beat Republican Mark Kennedy by 20 points.

PPP used auto-dialing to survey 1,179 Minnesota voters. The poll had a margin of error of 2.9 percent.

At the end of March, Klobuchar had $2.5 million in cash on hand. Roll Call Politics rates the Minnesota Senate race likely Democratic.