The Governor had a 61 percent job approval rating in public polls after his initial fiscal actions in 2003, although his approval rating subsequently declined, driven in part by his frequent out-of-state travel. Romney's approval rating stood at 34 percent in November 2006, ranking 48th of the 50 U.S. governors. In the 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Democrat Deval Patrick hailed a 20-point win over Republican Kerry Healey, Romney's lieutenant governor, with the win partially due to dissatisfaction with Romney's administration and the weak condition of the state's Republican party.