Last week, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed an immigration law that launched a national debate. It has also at least temporarily helped her own chances of remaining Arizona’s governor. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state shows that 56% now approve of the way Brewer is performing her role as governor. Two weeks ago, just 40% offered their approval.

The new figure includes 22% who Strongly Approve of the governor’s performance. That’s up from five percent (5%) before Brewer signed the law that authorizes local police to stop and verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant.

This is the second big issue in two months to boost Brewer’s prospects for being elected to her own full-term in office. In March, Brewer trailed Goddard by nine percentage points. Then, after passage of the federal health care law, Goddard refused to file a lawsuit against the federal government challenging the constitutionality of the law. Brewer found a way around that objection, and Arizona joined other states in the legal challenge. After that, Brewer’s numbers improved to a slight advantage over Goddard.