Fifty-two percent of voters say they approve of Governor Mark Dayton’s work while in office, according to a poll by the Star Tribune.

The DFL governor said he was impressed with the numbers, especially since the state shutdown in summer and the current debate over the proposed Vikings stadium.

“They’re definitely better than I would have expected, given the controversies of the year,” Dayton said. “So I’m encouraged. It provides great motivation to work even harder.”

The approval rating has changed little from a similar poll in May, when it sat at 54 percent. The disapproval rate has increased from 20 percent to 31 percent, however.

The Star Tribune’s poll interviewed more than 800 Minnesotans over a two day period. Twenty-four percent of respondents identified as Republicans, 34 percent as Democrats, and 33 percent as independents.