A slim majority of likely voters in Kentucky approve of Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's job performance, a new Kentucky Poll shows.

Fifty-two percent of respondents said they approve of the job McConnell has done in the Senate, where he has served since 1985 and led the GOP caucus since November 2006. Thirty-seven percent disapproved and 11 percent were not sure.

The job performance numbers for McConnell are good but not great, said national political analyst Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Sabato said numbers are worse for many members of Congress. He mentioned Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

The Democrats who lead the Senate and House "would love to have those numbers," Sabato said.

But he noted that McConnell is a powerful Republican in a conservative state. "He ought to be higher than that."

In comparison, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear's job performance was approved by 56 percent of likely voters while Democratic President Barack Obama's performance was approved by only 38 percent.

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