California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today has a 45% approval and 51% disapproval rating. This is the first time Schwarzenegger’s approval rating has fallen below 47% and the first time his disapproval rating has risen above 50% since October of 2006, when Schwarzenegger’s Net Job Approval, calculated by subtracting disapproval from approval,  was at Minus 9.

Schwarzenegger had a Minus 16 Net Job Approval when SurveyUSA first began tracking in May of 2005. By February of 2006, the governor had bottomed out with a Minus 33 Net Job Approval and a 65% disapproval rating. In the months that followed, however, Schwarzenegger’s approval ratings steadily improved, with the lines finally crossing in November of 2006 — the fourth tracking point on the reduced-size graph overlaid on the image at left — giving the governor a positive approval rating for the first time since our tracking began. With the exception of a one-time dip to a Minus 1 Net Job Approval in February of last year, Schwarzenegger had maintained a positive approval rating until last month, when he dropped from Plus 14 to Minus 2.  This month, the gap widens, and Net Job Approval falls  to Minus 6.

Full crosstabs and tracking graphs are here. Research conducted for KABC-TV Los Angeles, KPIX-TV San Francisco, KGTV-TV San Diego, and KFSN-TV Fresno.