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(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Mitt Romney lost public backing in the Bay State this month, according to a poll by the University of Massachusetts. 57 per cent of respondents rate the governor's performance as excellent or good, a four per cent drop since January.

Romney was elected in November 2002, defeating Democrat challenger Shannon O'Brien with 50 per cent of the vote. Romney took over on January 2003 from Jane Swift.

On Apr. 29, Romney filed a bill that seeks to reinstate the death penalty in Massachusetts for acts of terrorism, killing sprees, murders involving torture, and the homicide of law enforcement authorities. The proposal calls for specific guidelines—such as verifiable scientific evidence and a "no doubt" standard from juries—before applying capital punishment.

Yesterday, Romney vetoed a bill that seeks to expand stem cell research in the Bay State. In a letter to lawmakers explaining his rationale, Romney wrote, "It is wrong to allow science to take an assembly-line approach to the production of human embryos, the creation of which will be rooted in experimentation and destruction." The state legislature is expected to garner enough votes to override the veto next week.

The next gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 2006. Romney has been mentioned as a possible Republican presidential nominee in 2008. No Democrat has governed Massachusetts since Michael Dukakis stepped down in 1991.

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